A Simple Wish
by XamemegamiX
Summary: A new take on what happened when Kagome was stuck within the jewel. What should she wish for? What if she could see each wish before she made it? Will her and Inuyasha ever be together? Rated T due to some violence.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone and welcome to my new story! Of course, I don't own any of the characters! They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi! :(

I know, this first chapter isn't too exciting, but if I get some reviews, I just might be inclined to post the next chapter later today :)

Happy Reading!

XNKX

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Chapter One: The Black Abyss

Darkness. It was all she had known for a while now, yet she couldn't be sure exactly how much time had passed. Had it been hours, days, or only minutes? It was odd, how everything seemed to move slower when there was nothing except nothing. The loneliness almost ate away her insides-it almost drove her insane.

She couldn't see anything, or feel anything for that matter. She seemed to hang suspended in the middle of the nothingness. There was no breeze and no movement anywhere around her. When Kagome herself moved, the darkness gave no response. It was sheer terror. Kagome couldn't see anything, not even her own hand directly in front of her face.

The young adult hung onto the one thought that could always keep her together, no matter what the situation was or how desperate she became.

"Inuyasha," she whispered once again into the blackness as she floated weightlessly. Once again, the echoing voice boomed at her from somewhere in the darkness. She couldn't be sure from where it came; it echoed all around her. The thought crossed her mind that the voice came from within her own head. Wherever it came from, the voice didn't make her feel any less lonely; if anything, it made the loneliness grow even more intense. If that was possible. One thing she knew for sure, the voice was that of the Shikon no Tama.

"You know what must be done, miko," the darkness said, its voice neither male, nor female. "You must make a wish." Kagome said nothing in response. Another tear snaked its way down her cheek as she curled herself into a ball. She didn't know what to wish for. She didn't even know where to begin.

"Inuyasha. He wanted to become a full demon," she thought out loud. Obvious sorrow laced her voice. The essence of the jewel latched on to her sorrow, as it did to everyone who had ever held it.

"Would you like to see?" Kagome snapped her head upward in shock at what the voice had said. She detected a hint of amusement in the otherwise emotionless voice.

"See what?" Kagome asked as she looked into nothingness. '_I feel like I'm talking to myself,' _Kagome thought briefly. It was strange talking to someone who she couldn't see.

"What would become, if that were to be your wish." Kagome was taken aback. She could see what would be before making her decision, before making the life-changing wish? Her tears stopped falling at the thought of what this would mean. It would help her get out of the darkness. The crippling, horrifying darkness. The miko almost shook with anticipation of seeing the sunlight and feeling its warmth upon her face. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to have the wind whip through her hair or see the stars twinkling in the night sky. Never again would she take such simple seeming things for granted.

So one nod was enough for the essence. It didn't need even that much. It could see into the girl's heart and soul and knew what she would choose. Anyone would jump at the chance to escape. It knew that she hated the darkness and above all, she hated being alone. She hated being away from her friends and family, especially the inu-hanyou known as Inuyasha.

The jewel knew him well through the various people who had possessed it. It felt the love from Kikyo, followed by her scorn and bitterness. It felt the pure hatred and betrayal from the hanyou when he had stolen it for a brief moment, and now, it felt the innocent love from the young time traveling miko whose destiny had been intertwined with the jewel itself. Such innocence and purity almost demanded to be broken.

Kagome blinked and the darkness stayed behind her closed eyes. She was standing just within the forest by Kaede's village. The wind that she had longed for brushed across her face and played through her hair. The instantly felt relieved, almost to the point of tears. The blackness had left and taken the loneliness with it. She was free! All memory of the discussion with the jewel had left her memory as pure joy welled inside her. She let out a laugh of relief as the sun's warmth fell upon her face through the canopy of leaves above. She took one step out of the forest into the village…

And stopped. The sight in front of her froze her in midstride as her heart caught up in her throat. _What's going on? _


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews! Keep em coming! Here is the newest chapter. And, like always, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters

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Chapter Two: Cold Blood

She took one step out of the forest into the village…

And froze. The sight in front of her stopped her in midstride as her heart caught up in her throat. _What's going on? _

She saw her favorite hanyou, no, her favorite _person_ in the whole world running towards the hut from the forest. But that wasn't what took her breath away. That wasn't the sight that had left her frozen. It was the person riding on his back…it was her! She watched as her hair flew out behind herself as she clutched tightly to the hanyou's back. The conversation with the jewel flushed back to the confused girl in an instant, making the blood rush to her head. She wouldn't be living this wish; she'd be watching it! Sighing, Kagome ran to catch up with herself and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha landed neatly on his feet and lowered Kagome carefully off his back. She readjusted her clothing before silently walking past the half demon and into the small hut. There was an awkward tension between the two as Inuyasha simply watched her walk past and followed her into the hut. They hadn't spoken since Kagome had picked up the jewel from Naraku's corpse and had stared into Inuyasha's eyes.

They both knew without speaking what the recovered jewel meant. It meant that they had to make a wish. Kagome had held the jewel tightly in her hand and purified it simply with her touch. Miroku had complimented her on her astounding ability at purification, but the mood remained heavy. Miroku and Sango knew what the jewel meant as well. Sango's heart ached for Kagome; she could imagine the turmoil that her heart was in.

Miroku and Sango emerged from the forest behind Kagome and Inuyasha. They were both sore and beaten from the battle, but the exhaustion was permeated with a glow of happiness. Miroku stopped and leaned on his staff once again to examine his hand. Sango stopped with him and smiled broadly. The kazaana was gone. It was finally gone. They both knew the deeper meaning that the vanished kazaana meant. It meant that the two of them could finally live together in peace. Sango blushed slightly at the thought.

"Do you think he will do it?" Sango's voice broke the silence. "Will he become a full demon, Miroku?" Sango's voice wavered slightly at the end. She was beyond exhausted and her emotions were getting to her. She felt badly for Kagome, and she even felt badly for Inuyasha too. She had grown close to the abrasive hanyou and even considered him a great friend. She didn't want anything bad to befall either of them.

Miroku met the demon slayer's eyes and allowed himself to get momentarily lost within them. He hadn't forgotten his promise to her. He would wed Sango. Finishing their journey had done nothing to lessen the feelings that he had for her—if anything, it intensified them. He couldn't think of anyone that he would rather spend the rest of his life with.

But the monk knew that now was not the time for such talk. He shrugged his shoulders and looked away from Sango to the hut that the other two had disappeared into.

"I don't know, Sango. Nobody knows but Inuyasha. I'm not even sure if Kagome knows." No, that was a lie. The truth was written all over the time-traveling-girl's face. The defeat of Naraku should have been the most joyous day of their lives, but the mood was dampened by the thought of what was to come. She had never been good at hiding her true feelings. Her large brown eyes gave everything away. He could see the sadness and fear in them, even as she attempted to hide behind a fake smile.

Kagome's mind was tortured as she stepped into Kaede's hut. She forced the biggest smile she could manage onto her face as Shippo leapt into her arms. He joyously hugged her and chattered on about how happy he was that they were all ok and not harmed. He proceeded to assault her with a dozen questions, but Kagome couldn't focus. She was preoccupied with what she knew was inevitable. Her mind flashed back through all the conversations she had with Inuyasha. All the times that Miroku had warned him to give up his selfish wish of wanting to become a full demon; all the times he had angrily told the monk that he would wish for whatever the hell he wanted. She remembered that even telling him that she loved him as a half demon had seemed to do nothing to lessen his desire of finally becoming full-blooded; the desire of finally being accepted somewhere.

The memories that haunted her most were of the times that Inuyasha had fully transformed. When the Tetsusaiga had become separated from him and he went into survival mode. He was terrifying every time. He even hated it himself. What made him think that becoming a full demon through the jewel would be any different? She was worried sick that he would be stuck in the terrifying form that she had witnessed before. The Inuyasha that didn't care about anything but killing; the Inuyasha that felt like he HAD to kill.

"Kagome?" At the sound of her name, the miko was pulled out of her deep thoughts. She looked down at the pouting child in her arms. He must have asked her questions that she didn't respond to.

"I'm sorry Shippo. I'm just tired is all." She gently sat the young kitsune on the ground. Miroku and Sango had been quick to sit down by the fire, resting their weary bodies. Kagome noticed that they were both sitting much closer to one another than usual. If it were any other time, she would have smiled at the thought and came up with a plan to push them together, but her heart just wasn't in it.

Inuyasha remained standing by the door as Kaede helped Sango and Miroku take care of the few wounds they had sustained. She had sent Shippo to get some fresh water. Kagome, other than being weary from standing and using up so much spiritual power and being dirty, was unharmed. Inuyasha had seen to that.

Kagome looked at the completed jewel before looking up at Inuyasha. Her breath pulled up short as her eyes met with his. She memorized the rich golden color and light that was held within his eyes before looking quickly away. The resolve was written clearly on his face. She didn't want to put it off any longer; she couldn't. The miko nodded solidly and swiftly walked out of the hut before any of the others could question her or stop her. If they had raised so much as one objection, she was sure that her confidence would fold. She had to believe in Inuyasha. She just had to. As she walked past the hanyou that was leaning against the doorframe, Kagome couldn't think of what to say. So, she simply said nothing as she pushed the reed curtain aside and stepped out in to the fresh afternoon air.

Inuyasha didn't need any prompting. He followed the young girl out. They both walked in complete silence to the sacred tree. Inuyasha knew where Kagome was going to take them without her even saying a word. It just seemed…right. This was the place where everything had begun. Where Kikyo had pinned Inuyasha for 50 years and died herself, and where Kagome had met the very same hanyou. She remembered that day like it had happened just yesterday. How could she forget such a changing point in her life?

"_You look pretty dumb there, Kikyo. The Kikyo I know wouldn't waste her time."_

"_That does it. Kikyo, Kikyo, whoever she is, she's not me cause my name is…"_

"_You're pathetic Kikyo"_

"_I'm NOT Kikyo. Look I'm telling you, I'm not her. Whoever HER is!"_

"_And I'm saying you gotta be her! Because there's no way that you could smell so…you're not her."_

"_I know! My name is Kagome. KA-GO-ME!_

From that day on, Kagome was constantly trying to live up to who Kikyo was. And she was constantly trying to fight her for Inuyasha's heart.

It was full of memories, both happy and sad, that the two had shared over the past year. It would forever be a connection between their two worlds, and therefore, between both of them as well.

Kagome took a deep breath as she reached out and took Inuyasha's hand. He smiled slightly at her and squeezed her hand in reassurance. _Please Kagome, believe in me. I can handle the transformation this time. I know I can!_

She could see it in his eyes. It was an emotion that rarely showed itself at all on the hanyou's face. She saw it mostly when he was forced to talk about emotions or his feelings. It was fear. _He's just as scared as I am. _Kagome took little comfort from that thought.

For the miko, it felt like they had reached the tree too soon. She immediately felt the sudden peacefulness and clarity that only the tree could provide her. She knew what she wanted to say, what needed to be said.

"Inuyasha," she began, looking towards the tree while fiddling with the jewel. "Do you remember the first day we met? It was right here, at this very spot."

He remembered. How could he forget? The moment that Kagome had shouted her name at him and he had realized she wasn't Kikyo, his life changed forever. Deep inside, he knew it was for the better. Kagome had changed him, with just her kind heart and comforting words alone. She had changed him for the better. And he would never forget that. He needed to become a full demon. He needed to do it so that he could always protect her.

The young hanyou's throat felt too thick to speak, so he just met her big brown eyes and nodded. Kagome smiled at him and his heart melted. He knew now more than ever that he had to become more powerful. He couldn't let anyone harm her ever again. He needed to protect those eyes and that smile.

"I want you to be happy, Inuyasha." Her smile faded slightly as she pushed the completed jewel into his palm and closed his fingers around it. Inuyasha felt it pulse in his hand. He could feel the power emanating from it. He could feel his desire to become full demon overpower him. Kagome sensed the slight shift in his aura and took a few steps backward, her eyes fixed upon him the entire time. He felt guilty that he was making her so frightened, but there was no turning back now.

_I can do this. I can control my demon side. I'm strong enough. _Inuyasha gripped the jewel so tightly that he could feel his claws cutting into his palms. He wondered briefly how to go about making the wish, but the moment he wondered it, the answer became clear in his mind: he only needed to want it bad enough.

He let the desire flood his mind and soul as he forgot about everything else. He could feel the jewel react. It grew warm in his hand and he could almost taste the power as it coursed through his body. Then, he felt a feeling that he always dreaded. Inuyasha could feel his demon blood take over. '_I can control this,' _he thought one last time.

Kagome could see him changing, even if he wasn't fully aware of the physical changes himself. It was identical to the few times that him and Tetsusaiga had become separated. Only this time, it would be permanent. She knew that she couldn't tell him to sit to make him come back; even kissing him wouldn't work anymore. Those thoughts filled her with dread and she took another step away from the man that she loved.

The jewel became so tainted that it gave Kagome an instant headache. She was filled with dread and regret. _Maybe I should have tried harder to change his mind._ The sacred jewel morphed with Inuyasha and he became tainted with it. His hair grew longer and his flaring demon aura caused it to whip around his body and head violently. He clenched his fists and arms in front of him and she saw his claws grow even more deadly. His fangs protruded from behind his teeth as the golden eyes that Kagome loved so much turned a deep red, the pupils a dark purple. Jagged lines of purple began to cut through the skin on his cheeks as the demon aura sought places to seep out of his body. His once handsome face was now morphed into that of a monster.

Everything in her told her to run; everything except her heart. Kagome couldn't bear to leave Inuyasha now, even if her own life would soon be in peril. She took a few more steps backward as Inuyasha's demon aura flared once more. She could see his powerful muscles clench as he curled his dangerously long claws outward.

It was easy for Kagome to tell the exact moment that Inuyasha lost control of himself. Kagome momentarily thought that maybe kissing or sitting him might do something, but she knew that it wouldn't work. It would just cause her to be killed. This time was different from any time that he had transformed before. He had given his human soul over willingly. _Why Inuyasha?_ The now full demon threw his head backward and let out a vicious snarl.

Kagome jumped in surprise when the aura stopped violently whipping around and Inuyasha looked at her suddenly. Her heart sank as she met his eyes. They were a deep blood red instead of the amber color that she loved so much. She knew that he was fully gone. He smiled an evil smile that showed his now razor sharp teeth. The fear in her body spiked at the look on his face.

"I-Inuyasha," Kagome whimpered as she took more steps backward. Fear completely flooded her body once she realized that she was completely helpless. This wasn't the Inuyasha that she knew and loved. This was a monster. Inuyasha inhaled her scent of fear as he raised one clawed hand.

Kagome clenched her eyes shut as Inuyasha let out a vicious snarl and charged at her. When she finally opened them, she watched as he darted off into the woods towards Kaede's village, and tons of defenseless villagers. He left her dead body upon the forest floor. She had watched everything unfold, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from her own dead body. He had killed her. He had killed her without any shred of regret or any second thought. He didn't even show a moment of sadness after she had fallen dead in a pool of her own blood. The Inuyasha that she had known was completely gone.

Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks as screams from the nearby village echoed through the forest. Kagome fell to her knees beside her own dead body. Blood pooled around the dead schoolgirl. Her chest was slashed open and her school uniform was stained red. He hadn't even killed her for a reason. Not for food and not because she was in the way of anything he wanted. He just killed her to kill her. More screams echoed from the village. The young miko was glad that she wasn't there to witness the horrible event that was unfolding. What would Miroku and Sango do? Would they be able to kill their friend? And those poor villagers…

Kagome clenched her eyes shut and willed it all to go away. How could he make that wish? How could he murder her in cold blood?

"He became a full demon to better protect you, miko," the voice within the jewel stated, as emotionless as always. Kagome opened her eyes in shock at the sudden voice and saw nothing but the deep and all-consuming darkness. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt herself sliding back into the lonely depression that had been plaguing her since she had become locked in the jewel. It took her a moment to process what the voice said.

"How do you know that?" Kagome whispered into the darkness.

"I know the hearts and desires of all mortals. How easily you all bend to the wills and needs of others. I've been traveling with the two of you for quite some time now. I know your hearts very well, young miko." Kagome felt rage bubble up in her chest. It escaped her before she could force it back down, just like the time that she had told Inuyasha that she hated him.

"Shut up! You don't know us! You don't know anything about me and you don't know anything about Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed into the darkness. She was sick of being manipulated. She…she hated the cursed jewel!

Kagome gasped. Had she become so horrible that such thoughts would cross her mind? Whatever was happening in the jewel…she knew that she couldn't let it change who she was. She was Kagome Higurashi. She couldn't bring herself to completely hate anyone. Everyone and everything had some form of good to them. Kagome couldn't let the evil side of the jewel turn her into a monster.

The darkness had nothing to say. It was almost like her words had wounded it. Since there was nothing left to say, Kagome cried in silence with the image of Inuyasha's cold, heartless face blaring at her from behind her closed eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters, but this story is completely mine

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Chapter Three: Wake up, Kagome!

The breeze blew Inuyasha's long silver hair behind him as he sat tensely upon Kaede's roof. His ears were trained upon the young woman that was lying in the hut below him. He hadn't slept much the night before, or the one before that either. He couldn't help but feel responsible and the guilt was almost unbearable. He was supposed to protect Kagome, not let her go comb-it-os, or whatever the hell Kaede had called it. He dug his nails painfully into his palms as he made two tight fists at his side. He gritted his teeth.

"Damn it," he mumbled to himself through clenched teeth. Helplessness surrounded him. He hated that feeling. There wasn't a damn thing he could do for Kagome right now and it was killing him inside. Once again, he replayed the events in his mind, trying to find a moment when he could have stopped her or helped her or…just done something, anything to prevent her from being harmed.

"Hit the mark!" Kagome yelled as she let loose her most powerful spiritual arrow yet. It was fueled by her overwhelming desire to finished Naraku, once and for all.

"Adament Barrage!" Inuyasha focused the remainder of his strength into this final attack. He knew that this was his last bit of energy; he could tell Kagome felt the same. He could smell her blood and it drove him crazy. She wasn't dangerously injured though, so he focused on the battle.

He could also smell and hear Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. They were all injured and could no longer fight. He knew they were alive though. He had to end the battle, here and now, or they might not make it.

His attack and Kagome's hit Naraku at the exact time needed. Her arrow purified the evil half demon's aura and miasma, allowing his Adament Barrage to finish the job. He smiled slightly at how his and Kagome's timing was perfectly in sync.

"Damn you…Inuyasha and Kagome," were the last words uttered from Naraku's mouth before the blast hit him straight on.

Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome and his heart pounded mercilessly in his chest, just like every time he looked at her. Her ebony hair flowed around her head as Naraku's destruction threw a blast of wind at all of them. He watched as a smile grew upon her face as well. When she looked his way and met his eyes, he melted inside. Her smile had that effect on him. Not that he'd ever let her know that. It was far too mushy.

The miasma that had surrounded Naraku began to fade and the sun poked out from behind it and illuminated the battlefield. The ground was in tatters, just like the five comrades. Sango was leaning on her Hirakotsu. She was dirty and her hair was coming out of her normally tight ponytail. She held her one arm delicately to her chest and it was either sprained or broken. Her whole body hurt too much to be able to tell the difference. The rest of her body was covered with various scratches and bruises. Her left leg had a deep gash that had stained her slayer's outfit with blood.

Kirara leaned heavily against Sango's other side, helping to hold her up. Aside from a few scratches and some broken ribs, Kirara was fine. She was also over exhausted, but never let the duty of protecting her best friend fall short. The fire cat let out a small huff of air.

Miroku was sitting nearby, leaning his back against a tree. His left arm was completely shattered and he had multiple gashes all over his body. He sustained more injuries since he was always throwing himself in harm's ways in order to protect Sango. Even though he was injured and weary, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Naraku finally get destroyed. He smiled even more when Sango knelt beside him.

"Sango," he began.

"Miroku, is it gone?" She interrupted him and looked pointedly at his hand. That's right. Naraku had tricked them many times before, and there were only two ways to know that he was indeed dead. One of the ways was that his wind tunnel would be gone. He shook the rosary loose from his right hand, since he no longer had the use of his left hand. He stopped breathing for a moment when he noticed that the wind tunnel was in fact gone.

Sango ignored both their injuries and threw herself into the monk's arms. Miroku simply laughed and held her with his one good hand. Before long, they were both laughing, out of relief and out of sheer happiness.

While they were rejoicing, Kagome had other things on her mind. Was Naraku really gone? He had reabsorbed his heart a few days before, so if it were really him that they had destroyed, then he would be dead for good. But the only other way, aside from the disappearance of Miroku's wind tunnel, to be sure that he was indeed gone was to find the completed Sacred Jewel. She could feel it. She could feel the Sacred Jewel. That tingling sensation that she got whenever she could feel a jewel echoed in her head. She knew what needed to be done.

Inuyasha couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to Kikyo as he looked around the battlefield. There were pieces of Naraku strewn everywhere. Trees were knocked over and the ground was torn up in deep pockets and ravines, mostly from his wind scar. He owed Kikyo at least one final thought. _Kikyo. I finally avenged you._ He glanced to the area where he had seen her fall. Nothing remained; even her priestess clothes had been blown away, by either the wind, or the extreme release of power at Naraku's demise. He let himself slide to one knee as the fatigue from the battle finally set in. He didn't know how the humans had managed to keep up with him. _That's not true. They are the strongest humans I have ever met. Even Kagome. How did such a weak human girl become so strong? _ Yet again, words he would never utter out loud. He once again looked towards the miko.

She wasn't where she had been a moment ago. He looked around and found where she was. The young girl was quickly walking towards the center of the battle, where Naraku's body had once been. _That's right! The sacred jewel! _ Inuyasha climbed to his feet and slowly followed Kagome. His heart beat loudly in his ears. From the look of determination on Kagome's face, he knew that they done it. They had really finally beat Naraku.

Kagome's walk turned into a run as she got closer to the jewel. There it was! It was almost completely black from all the evil things that Naraku had done while it was within his possession. The jewel resounded with hatred so fierce that it caused her immense pain to simply be close to it. She let out a small gasp of pain. It was well within her grasp, but something made her hesitate. _'What are you waiting for?'_ she questioned herself. Kagome finally pushed the feeling of hesitation away and grabbed the jewel. A moment too late, she deciphered the reason for her hesitation. She remembered the warning from Kikyo only half a day earlier.

"Kagome," Kikyo had said as she was taking her final breaths. Inuyasha and all the others were engaged in the battle with Naraku. Kagome remembered feeling a pang of guilt that Inuyasha hadn't been able to hold his love in her final moments. Kagome had taken it upon herself to be there for the woman since Inuyasha couldn't. No one deserved to die alone. Kikyo wasn't evil. Sure, she had been bitter towards her reincarnation in the beginning, even sometimes jealous, but as she had continued to live a borrowed life, she had grown to detach herself from the whole situation. Her only goal towards the end of her life had been to defeat Naraku. It was a shame that she wouldn't make it to see his downfall.

"Kagome, you must not touch the fully tainted jewel. It's complete hate and malice would overcome even my spiritual powers. Do not pick it up Kagome, please. You must purify it without touching it. Promise me this," she had muttered weakly. "Use the arrow of purification, for if the jewel were to touch you…" Kikyo had grown silent in a fit of coughing. Kagome grimly noticed the blood that Kikyo was coughing up onto her school uniform. She wouldn't survive much longer.

"Yes, of course," Kagome had agreed without thinking about it. Her mind had been thinking about how hurt Inuyasha was going to be when he learned the Kikyo had died. She didn't want to feel it, but jealousy made its way to her heart. Inuyasha had screamed out Kikyo's name as her final breath left her lips. Kagome gently laid the dead miko onto the ground.

'He still loves her,' Kagome had thought as Kikyo's body crumbled into dust, leaving nothing but her miko's clothing behind.

Kagome had been careless. Complete pain and shock overwhelmed her as her hand involuntarily clenched tightly onto the jewel. It disappeared and she could feel it within her body. _Right where it originally came from._ She clung weakly to consciousness.

Inuyasha was only a step behind the young miko as she fell softly towards the ground.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled her name as he caught her in his arms. He quickly brushed her ebony hair out of her face. He could hear Miroku and Sango making their way over to where he was kneeling.

"Inu…Inuyasha," she muttered weakly. "I was careless. I'm sorry, please forgive me." She looked at him with watery eyes as pain racked her body. Inuyasha held her closer to his chest.

"Baka, what did you do?" Inuyasha's questioning fell on deaf ears as Kagome fell into unconsciousness. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up!"

"Inuyasha! What happened?" Sango had quickly forgotten her fatigue the moment her friend had collapsed.

"I don't know. She just…collapsed. Now she's unconscious." Inuyasha looked confused.

"Wait," interceded Miroku. "Where is the sacred jewel?" Indeed, the jewel was nowhere in sight. Kagome's right hand was clenched, but she wasn't holding anything.

"I...I think she picked it up. But I don't know where it is now." Inuyasha internally cursed himself for letting her go alone to retrieve the jewel. He should have been right at her side. _Not again. I just lost Kikyo. I can't lose Kagome too. _

Inuyasha's thoughts were disrupted as Miroku gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We cannot accomplish anything here. Let us return to Kaede's village. Perhaps she will know what is happening with Kagome." Inuyasha merely nodded in response. He cradled Kagome in his arms and followed the other three companions the short distance to Kaede's hut.

They had returned to Kaede's village, but there was nothing Kaede had been able to do except make the girl comfortable and help the others bandage their various wounds. From the description of what had happened at the battle and with the jewel, Kaede's best guess had been that the jewel was too tainted for Kagome to manage and that it had corrupted her. Kagome was likely in a battle for her life with the jewel's corruption. As to the question of where the actual jewel was, Kaede couldn't be sure.

So, there Inuyasha was, sitting and waiting for the young miko to wake up, or change at all. Kaede was changing her bandages, or else he would have been sitting diligently by her side. He heard the reed curtain rustle and he curiously peered over the edge of the roof. Kaede appeared from within the hut.

"Inuyasha, " she called up to him without even glancing in his direction. "Ye may return to her side. I am going to change the water." Without another word, Kaede left for the river. She knew that Inuyasha didn't need to know what Kagome's condition was. With his keen senses of smell and hearing, he would be able to know those details even more than her.

The hanyou swiftly jumped off the roof and headed into the small hut. Kagome was where she had been for the past two days. He made his way across the room and sat cross-legged beside her. He gently took one of her hands into his own.

"Kagome…please forgive me. I wasn't able to protect you." He hung his head low, ashamed at himself for letting another woman get hurt because of him. He felt worthless. Which is what he was. Nothing more than a worthless half-breed. That's what he had been his whole life and that was what he would die as.

_Kagome didn't think I was worthless. She liked me as a half-demon. She…loved me as a half demon._ That's what she had said that one time, wasn't it? Or did he imagine those words coming from her sweet lips? No, he was sure he had heard that. She was always saying mushy things to him. All about how she liked him the way he was and didn't want him to change. But that couldn't mean that she…loved him, could it? No, no one could love a worthless hanyou like him. Even Kikyo didn't really love his hanyou side. She wanted him to become a human for her.

_But, Kagome never asked me to become a human. She never asked anything of me, aside from protection. And I failed her once again. _

"Inu…yasha." The mentioned hanyou's ears perked up from their droopy state at the sound of his name, more importantly, at the voice that said his name. He looked towards Kagome, but the young miko was still completely unconscious. He gripped her hand tighter. _Am I imagining things now? Has this guilt finally driven me mad?_ Inuyasha listened more intently, but the young girl didn't say anything. He trained his ears elsewhere to try and find the source of the voice.

He could hear Miroku and Sango talking nearby as they took a stroll through the village. He cut in on one moment of their conversation before a deep blush set upon his face and he turned his ears elsewhere. He heard Kaede down by the river gathering herbs that grew by the shore as she retrieved more water. Shippo was playing with some village children nearby as well.

Inuyasha then turned his attention back to Kagome.

Something was wrong. Kagome's heart was beating out of control and he could smell something from her that he rarely did, even through all the danger he put her in: fear. He felt completely hopeless as she battled whatever she was battling alone. The thought of her going through anything alone made his heart ache. Even though he was right at her side, he couldn't do a single thing for her.

"Inuyasha." He saw it this time. He saw her lips mumble his name and he heard it clearly spoken by the voice that he secretly missed. He would have given anything to hear her sweet voice again; hell, he would have even settled for her yelling at him. Hearing her mumbling his name while still coconscious unsettled him.

"Kagome!" he yelled with hope as he looked down at her. But there was no change. Her heart continued to beat wildly as her breathing increased. Panic laced through him when he realized that there was nothing he could do for her. He did the only thing that he knew to do in order to calm her down. He pulled her sleeping form into his arms and held her tightly to his chest.

"Damn it," he mumbled as he lowered his face until his eyes were concealed behind his bangs. "Kagome…Don't you die on me!"

He looked upon her sleeping face. A single tear wound its way down her cheek from behind her closed eyelid. Inuyasha absentmindedly wiped it away while he willed her breathing and heartbeat to slow down. He held her even closer to his body and rocked her gently. He racked his brain for anything that his mother did to calm him down when he was younger. He ended up doing the only thing that he knew how to do well: yell.

"Kagome! I'm right here. It's going to be ok! Please, wake up Kagome!" His only response from the miko was a shuddering sigh as her vital signs all returned to normal. Inuyasha let out a sigh. It wasn't the complete result he was wanting, but at least it was better than nothing. She was still alive. _Please, wake up soon, Kagome. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. _

"Eh-hem." The sound of Miroku clearing his throat brought Inuyasha back to the present. He looked up quickly and found all his friends standing right within the doorway, watching him. A deep blush instantly set upon his face as he quickly, but carefully, put Kagome back on to her sleeping mat. He covered her body with a blanket before staring daggers at Miroku. His blush deepened when he remembered how he was holding Kagome and the words that he had shouted to her. They didn't hear that did they? _Of course they did, idiot. I'm sure the whole village heard me screaming._

Sango politely averted her eyes, staring off into the corner of the hut, but the perverted monk stared straight at Inuyasha, a crooked smile on his face.

"Save it, monk," Inuyasha said as he roughly shoved his way past everyone. With one swift leap, he was back up on the roof of Kaede's hut. He mumbled angrily to himself. Something about perverted monks and bad timing. He hated anyone seeing his as weak or emotional.

Miroku chuckled quietly once the hanyou was gone. _As if we all didn't know your true feelings, Inuyasha. _His gaze fell upon the sleeping form of the young woman from the future. His smile died almost instantly. _I just hope that you still have time to tell Kagome how you feel. _

Sango made her way to her friend's side. She knelt beside her and gently wiped the younger woman's forehead with a damp cloth.

"Oh, Kagome. I wish you'd wake up. There's so much that I need to talk to you about," the demon slayer whispered solemnly. She blushed when she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. She placed her hand on top of Miroku's. Neither said a word, but both took great meaning out of the silent touch. They sat together for a while, both staring at the young miko's face, waiting and praying for her to open her eyes, not just for them, but for the hanyou that they knew was lying right above them. They didn't want to think what losing Kagome would do to Inuyasha.

Miroku disrupted the silence. "Come Sango, let us make dinner and get ready for the night." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Once they were standing, Sango blushed when he didn't let go of her hand. Miroku smiled once more at how bashful his fearless and battle-savvy fiancé was. _Fiancé…That has such a nice ring to it._

Sango finally released Miroku's hand and turned to leave. He watched her leave…and couldn't stop himself. Her bottom was just too alluring…even though the wind tunnel was gone, he still had a cursed hand indeed.

SMACK! Miroku was rewarded with a punch across the head. When he looked up, instead of the usual scowl on her face, Sango was wearing a small smile. He joined in when she started to laugh.

'_Has everyone around here gone nuts?'_ Inuyasha thought as he listened to the two below him laugh hysterically. Miroku and Sango continued laughing, letting all the emotional stress out. Inuyasha couldn't help but allow a small smile to alight his face. _I hope you wake up soon, Kagome. I can't wait to hear your laugh again._

_

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Author's Note: I hope that the flashback within a flashback wasn't too confusing! I try to increase the space between paragraphs when they are in different times or different areas/perspectives.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! I am always looking for criticism and compliments!


	4. Chapter 4

Just a reminder: I do not own Inuyasha… Aw, sad face

Also, please review! That makes me happy! And the happier I am, the faster chappies come up!

Chapter Four: Selfless

"Kagome!"

The mentioned young girl snapped her head up at the sound of her name. It wasn't the same voice that she had grown accustomed to; it wasn't the cold, emotionless tone that she kept hearing ask her to make a wish. It instead was a voice that she had tried to hold in her memories, but that the darkness had robbed away from her, just like his smile and the soft molten gold color of his eyes.

It was Inuyasha.

Kagome frantically looked around her, but to no avail. She was still completely surrounded by nothing but complete darkness. But she did hear his voice, didn't she? _Am I hearing things now? Is this another trick of the jewel?_

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice boomed out from the darkness. She didn't really believe that he could hear her, but she had to try.

"Impossible," the voice from the jewel muttered. For once, Kagome could hear a slight quiver of emotion. The voice sounded worried. Kagome smiled at this small, but meaningful fact. It meant that the jewel's power was fading. More importantly, it meant that Inuyasha was nearby. Kagome smiled as she fell into a light sleep. Her dreams were of nothing but complete darkness. She couldn't even escape within her dreams.

"Well?" Kagome awoke to the ever-present voice. "Is that the wish that you desire?" The voice was back to its original emotionless self. Kagome's spirits were drained. She would do almost anything to get back to the real world. But then she remembered Inuyasha's cold face and his emotionless and hard eyes. She simply couldn't wish for that. Not only would it destroy the Inuyasha that she knew, but it would endanger all the other people that she loved as well. She shuddered as the image of Inuyasha tearing through Sango, Miroku, and Shippo entered her mind. No, she wouldn't wish for that. She couldn't wish for that.

"No," Kagome stated simply. She tried to remain as nonchalant as possible, but even she could her that her voice was shaking. The darkness fed off of her fear and insecurities. It spoke almost instantly.

"Would you like to see?" Kagome's eyes opened wide. If the dark entity could show her one wish, why not another? She thought deeply for a moment, trying to come up with the perfect wish. Everyone who made a wish selfishly got nothing but death or misfortune. She had to think selfless. Selfless. A small gasp escaped her mouth. Self less.

"What would have happened if I had never made it to the feudal era?" Kagome dreaded even saying it aloud. It would mean never meeting people that were so dear to her. Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Shippo. Inuyasha. She closed her eyes tightly as a tear slid down her face. It was a sacrifice that she was more than willing to make if it would set everything right and make everyone happy.

When Kagome opened her eyes, she was once again outside. Her heart beat excitedly, but she knew that it was all nothing more than an illusion. She could feel the wind and the sunshine. She could even smell the polluted air. It was an incredibly real illusion, but an illusion, nonetheless.

_Wait, polluted air? _Kagome finally took a good look around. She was on the shrine grounds in Tokyo. _Why am I here?_

"Bye mom! Bye Grandpa! I'm going to school now!" Once again, Kagome saw and heard herself. And once again, she froze as a chill shot down her spine. She would never get used to seeing her own body and self move around without her. Kagome saw herself open the screen door to the house. She moved in closer to watch the scene unfold.

"Bye dear! And happy birthday!" Mrs. Higuraishi called to her daughter from the kitchen.

"Thanks mom!" Kagome wore a big smile on her face. It was her fifteenth birthday. She couldn't wait to get to school and see all of her friends. She quickly hurried towards the steps of the family shrine that led down into Tokyo…until she saw her little brother, Souta, at the door of the shrine's well house. _Now what's he up to? _

"Souta. What are you doing in that well house?" Her bother jumped in surprise at her sudden voice. When he turned around, she noticed that he had Buyo's food dish in his hands.

"Don't scare me like that, sis!"

"You wouldn't be so scarable if you weren't up to no good"

"Buyo went down by that creepy well," Souta replied shakily. He was always such a scaredy cat.

"So? Why don't you go and get him?"

"Are you crazy?" he shouted. "It's dark and scary down there!"

Kagome shook her head. She grabbed the door and started to pull it completely open. She was about to take a step into the dark building when she heard someone calling her name.

"Kagome! Telephone!" Mrs. Higuraishi was yelling from the screen door to the house.

"Coming!" Kagome looked to Souta and shrugged before running towards her mother.

Souta shivered and set the bowl of cat food down by the entrance to the well house. "I'm sure Buyo can find his own way out," he mumbled to himself as he grabbed his backpack and headed off to his school.

_This isn't right. This isn't how it happened. _Kagome watched herself run inside the house to answer the telephone. She froze again a few minutes later as her own body walked right past her and down into Tokyo. She panicked and looked down at herself to make sure that her own body was still there. What she saw was an exact copy of what had just walked past her. It was like watching a movie where she was the star, but she was in the middle of it, not watching it on the big screen.

She waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Nothing came out of the well house. This was supposed to be the morning that Mistress Centipede dragged her 500 years into the past. But the wish…it made it so that she never stood by the well. Which meant that she would never get pulled to the feudal era.

Kagome gently placed a hand at her side where the jewel would have been torn out if she had been pulled into the well. Without that small jewel getting pulled out of her, Kagome could have what she had always wanted: a normal teenage life filled with friends, gossip, dates, and tests. But at what cost?

The ebony haired girl just stared into the dark opening of the well house as her frown deepened. She thought of everyone that she had met in the past that she wouldn't meet anymore. The lecherous but wise Miroku, the free-spirited and innocent Shippo, and the kind hearted and brave Sango and Kirara. She even thought of Koga, Jenengi and his mother, the young girl, Rin, Kaede, all the villagers that she had grown to know and care for. And…Inuyasha. Her heart ached when she realized that she would never meet her true love.

A shocking revelation made her go numb instantly. She wouldn't miss them. She wouldn't miss a single person. She couldn't. She would never meet them and you can't miss someone that you never met. _ Is that true though? Wouldn't I always feel like there was a part of me missing? _

When Kagome closed her eyes to take a calming breath, she opened them to an entirely new scene. The air smelled cleaner and the sun shone more purely. She knew immediately that she was back in the feudal era. If that didn't give it away, the village that was standing in the middle of was a pretty strong indication as well.

"Sister, you must choose a suitor!" The sudden voice caused Kagome to shriek and jump in surprise. When she looked up to see who had talked, she realized that she knew what village she was in, although when she saw it last, it was in ruins and was more of a graveyard than a village.

It was the village of the demon slayers. It was Sango's home and it was bustling with people. A lot of them were dressed in the same warrior clothing that both Sango and Kohaku wore. They ranged in all colors. Wandering among the warriors were normal looking villagers.

_That's right. Without the jewel, or me, Naraku had no reason to attack this village. I'm so glad. _Kagome watched as Kohaku ran through the village, trying to keep up with the woman in front of him.

"Sango?" Kagome question out loud, even though no one could hear her. Sango looked similar, but very different all at once. She carried herself with more regality than before and she wasn't wearing her usual slayer's outfit, or the kimono that Kagome regularly saw her in. Instead, she was adorned in a beautiful silk gown. It reached the ground and dragged slightly behind her. It was a dark purple and was tied at the middle with a light pink obi. Sango looked positively beautiful. _Miroku would die if he saw Sango looking so gorgeous._

Sango made her way to the largest home in the village and sat upon its steps. Kohaku finally caught up with her. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking.

"Sango, please. Custom dictates that you must…"

"Do no site the customs to me. I know them well enough," Sango snapped, clearly irritated. She looked angry and miserable with the topic of the conversation that they were having.

"I don't understand, sister. Many of the men who have come to seek your hand in marriage are more than adequate." Kohaku looked at her pleadingly. He truly wanted nothing but his sister's happiness, but the village customs needed to be followed.

"Yes, but they are all so…stuffy. They are all so polite and stiff. I want to wed for love, not custom. How I wish father was still alive." Sadness permeated the young slayer's face when she remembered how her father had been killed only a week before.

"I understand, Sango. But the headmaster must have a spouse. Many people of the village are already against a woman becoming the clan's leader. Don't tempt them with further reason to have you removed."

Sango sighed. She knew that her brother was right. If she didn't choose a husband soon, the villagers could have her removed from her position. It was true that her brother, being her chief advisor, had brought her many find suitors, but none of them sparked any feelings within her heart. She reluctantly forced a smile to her face. She knew what had to be done.

"Lord Kenosai. I will wed Lord Kenosai. Make it so." Sango kept the fake smile plastered on her face, but it was easy to see how broken she was by looking into her eyes. She didn't want to settle down with a man that she had no feelings for, but she would do it for the sake of her village. It was her duty as headmaster to do as such.

"V-very good. I shall let him know of your decision." Kohaku stumbled through the proper words of an advisor before running off. He also didn't want to stick around long enough for her to change her mind. Kirara curled up next to Sango's side and let out a sympathetic meow.

"I know, Kirara. But the village comes before my happiness. Why do I feel like there is a piece of my heart missing?" Sango sighed and picked up the small cat demon as she headed inside, her head hanging low.

Kagome's heart went out to her friend. She would never find true love either because it was Kagome that had brought her and Miroku to one another. _I never knew that I had impacted everyone so much. _

She didn't want Sango to be so unhappy, but maybe she could grow to love the man that she had picked. And Kohaku and her entire village were still alive. That wasn't so bad, was it?

_Which fate is worse? To go through so much pain to finally gain happiness and love, or to live a happy life but never know love or true happiness? _Kagome wrestled with the two ideas in her head. Kohaku would be alive, either way. They had managed to save his life. She was deep in thought, but a high-pitched scream pulled her back to where she was.

Where, exactly, was she though? When Kagome looked up, she was on the outskirts of a village that she didn't recognize. The scream came from a woman as she clutched her child to her and ran into a small hut nearby. Similar screams were echoed throughout the village as other villagers quickly ran for cover as well. _What is going on? What are they all so afraid of?_

Whatever it was, it was heading in her direction. Kagome waited tensely as a person that she could never forget raced out of the village and toward the forest that surrounded it.

"Naraku." She spit the name out as if it was a bad taste in her mouth. The demon's long black hair trailed out behind him as he continued to run towards the forest.

"Naraku!" a familiar voice yelled. Kagome turned and saw Miroku emerge from within the village. Naraku stopped and turned to face the monk. "Are you running from me, Naraku?" Miroku taunted his opponent, a slight smirk on his face. He held a defensive stance with his staff held out protectively in front of him.

"Nay, monk. I am merely trying to distance myself from the disaster that's about to occur," Naraku said. Kagome could hear the laughter in his voice. Whatever was about to happen, it was clear that he was going to enjoy it immensely.

"What are you…" Miroku's question was cut short as he felt a stabbing pain coming from his right hand. He clenched his wrist tightly as his hand throbbed. He let out a small grunt of pain as he fell to his knees. Naraku gave one last evil chuckle before he continued to run to create distance between himself and the monk.

Kagome watched helplessly as Miroku's face contorted in pain. He continued to grab his wrist tightly. Kagome gasped when his prayer beads broke suddenly. They bounced onto the ground and rolled in multiple directions. Miroku pointed his hand up into the air as the wind tunnel broke thrashed violently out of his right hand. The young miko's clothing and hair whipped in the powerful wind. Miroku's slight grunts of pain turned into a scream.

"Miroku, no!" Kagome screamed and reached out a hand towards him before she remembered that there was nothing she could do. Kagome watched as the wind coming from his hand grew drastically. Miroku's arm began to shake from the immense power. It wasn't hard to know what was coming next. It was Miroku's worst fear. Kagome began to cry as she watched her friend fall to such a horrible fate.

"Curse you, Naraku…" Miroku mumbled before the wind became so powerful that Kagome couldn't hear anything. She shielded her eyes from the sudden gusts of wind. Then, as quickly as it began, the noise and wind ended. Kagome didn't want to look. She knew what she would see, but she had no choice. She had to face it.

Where Miroku had been, there was nothing but a deep crater. Kagome dropped to her knees when she realized that the loveable monk that she had grown to look towards for guidance and strength, not to mention a free bed and food at every village, had been killed by his own wind tunnel. He had run out of time.

_Without all of our help, he didn't destroy Naraku in time. _Without the jewel, Naraku lacked power that had previously possessed, but he was more than formidable on his own. Kagome stared at the freshly made hole in the ground for a moment longer before she closed her eyes. _I don't want to be here anymore._

She felt a light gentle breeze and heard birds singing, and before opening her eyes, she knew that the jewel had taken her to another new location. Bracing her heart for the next scene, Kagome opened her eyes. She was completely surrounded by forest. Getting quickly to her feet, Kagome searched frantically around her. She was met with trees, bushes, and plants on all sides. The sunlight filtered down lightly through the trees. It was gorgeous. Even with the beautiful trees and plants all around her, Kagome felt a twinge of panic. She was lost in some forest. It didn't matter if none of this was real. Lost was lost.

Kagome took a deep breath and carefully looked around her. She looked for any landmark or sign that would tell her which direction to go. Panicking and running off would do her no good. It didn't take long for the time traveling girl to find what she was looking for. A smile lit up her face as she immediately began to head in the direction of the Sacred Tree. It towered above the other trees in the forest, so it was easy to keep in sight. Before long, she knew that she was at the clearing of the tree. With a smile, she pushed aside one last tree branch and stepped into the clearing. When her eyes fell upon the tree in front of her, the smile immediately dropped from her face.

An intense rush of déjà vu hit her like a truck. Kagome's voice was caught in her throat at the sight in front of her.

"It…it's like…when I first, when we…" Kagome stammered as she took a few tentative steps towards the tree, her eyes opened wide and staring in shock the entire time.

"Inuyasha," she whispered quietly into the wind. She watched as his silver hair blew gently. He looked exactly the same as she could remember from the first time that she had laid eyes on him. He had a peaceful look on his face. The first time, she had thought he was sleeping. But she knew better this time. She stared open-mouthed at the arrow that was sticking out of his chest. His head hung slightly to the side and vines had made their way up to his thighs. She remembered the day that was supposed to happen. The day that never would happen if this wish came to pass.

_If I don't come to the feudal era, then Inuyasha will remain sealed. He'll…he'll eventually die. _Kagome remembered Kaede's teaching about the sealing arrow. If someone were sealed to the Sacred Tree, their body would remain in tact and stay the same as the day they were sealed. But a sealing arrow would only last 100 days if it was at maximum power. Which, knowing Kikyo's strength, it was. He would only stay alive and in tact for another 50 days. After that, he would turn to ash and join Kikyo in hell.

_Is that so bad? Isn't that what he wants anyway?_ Kagome felt a twinge in her heart when she thought of the two. Even though Kikyo had died in the battle with Naraku, Kagome couldn't help but feel that Inuyasha still yearned for her. Sure, they avenged her death, but what about his promise to follow her to hell?

The young miko sighed. _It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. What am I getting all worked up about? _Kagome stared at the young hanyou before her. He remained sealed. No one from Kaede's village came to get her and tie her up. That's because she wasn't really here. She wouldn't ever be coming here. Kagome took another step towards Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha. I wish I knew what to do…" Once more, Kagome fell to her hands and knees upon the forest floor. "I want to be with you, but is that too selfish of me? I wish I knew what you wanted." Kagome's mind flashed with all of the moments that she had spent with the young hanyou. She remembered him hugging her for the first time and then pushing her down the well for her own safety. She remembered him telling her that she smelt nice on the first night of the new moon. She could almost feel the wind in her face from all the times that she had clung to his back while he ran full speed. She could remember the burning gold of his eyes and his crooked smile. He was happy with her, wasn't he?

"I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered to the hanyou that was pinned to the tree. "But do you love me?" She looked up into his peaceful face as tears poured down her cheeks. _This is just like when I realized that I loved him for the first time…only that was in modern day Japan. _

Kagome pulled herself to her feet and stumbled through her blurry vision to the foot of the sacred tree. She reached a hand tentatively towards the person that she had grown to love, even through his many infuriating qualities. She blinked, and everything disappeared. Kagome let out an exasperated sigh as she was plummeted back into darkness.

Her mind reeled with all of the information that she had seen. One of her friends died, the other was unhappy, and Inuyasha…

"Is that your wish, miko?" The voice of the jewel once again pervaded her thoughts. Kagome thought for a moment before answering.

"No, that is not my wish." Kagome didn't explain herself further. _I don't want Miroku to die and I don't want Sango to be unhappy. But Inuyasha. Wouldn't dying be what he would want? But…but I want him to live. _

Kagome drifted into a dark slumber as she pondered Inuyasha's feelings. She smiled when she pictured his soft and smoldering golden eyes behind her closed lids. _So, I remember what they look like, even after all this darkness and time…_


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Thanks to all of you that have reviewed! It really means a lot to me!

As always, I don't own Inuyasha!

Chapter 5: Disappear

She was afraid. No, that wasn't right. Afraid wasn't a strong enough word to sum up how she was feeling. She wasn't afraid, she was terrified. Terrified to remain where she was any longer, but terrified to do the one thing that she knew might set her free. Might. That was the word that caused her such fear.

She might be let out. She might get to see her friends and family again. But she might not. Nothing was certain in her mind and the voice was definitely not giving her any answers. So, she was stuck. Not wanting to go down one path, but too terrified of standing still much longer. She was aware what the darkness was doing to her; what the jewel was doing to her. It was driving her crazy.

Kagome could feel it echoing through her head. The constant mantra of the jewel telling her to make a wish, make a wish, make a wish…

She cried. A lot. It was odd to her that she didn't shrivel up from all the lost fluid that seemed to constantly be flowing from her eyes. She cried remembering all that the jewel had shown her and she cried remembering that she was still stuck here-and would remain stuck until she made a wish.

But what wish? Which one was the right one? How could she phrase it to guarantee her release and stop the suffering of all her friends? Couldn't someone else make the wish? She beat herself up with so many unanswered questions. It only added to the confusion and craziness that the darkness was inflicting upon her, but she couldn't help it.

She also beat herself up over how rashly she had grabbed the jewel. She had been warned. Kikyo had told her not to do it, but she had done it anyway. How could she have forgotten such an important detail? As Kagome hugged her knees to her chest, she beat herself up for being so stupid. She could just hear what Inuyasha would say when he found out what had happened to her.

"_You baka! What were you thinking?" _She could even hear the slight growl in his voice that always made her giggle a little because it reminded her of a dog.

Inuyasha. Would she get to see him again? Would she even get to hear him call her an idiot ever again? She remembered their fights and would even prefer the pain of him running off to Kikyo to being trapped. She just wanted to see him, even if it was only once more. Even if it was just to say goodbye.

"Osuwari," she mumbled under her breath. She didn't mean to say it out loud, but her mind was so lost in the moment that it slipped out. _I must really be losing it if I am daydreaming about Inuyasha and me fighting!_ The young miko shook her head to clear the thoughts before resting her cheek on her draw up knees.

_Inuyasha…I need you by my side…_

SLAM! Inuyasha plummeted to the floor of the old hut. He had been sitting diligently next to Kagome when he heard her utter another word. The pain he felt as he plummeted to the ground made him happy, ecstatic even. He never imagined that he would ever be happy to hear that word come from her mouth.

As soon as the beads' magic wore off, Inuyasha frantically scrambled to his feet. He leaned expectantly over the girl lying on the floor in front of him. He waited for a moment…and then a moment more. When Kagome's condition didn't improve, the hanyou felt his ears droop onto his head. Right back where they had been ever since the end of the battle. Reluctantly, Inuyasha returned back into a seated position. He gently brushed the raven locks out of the miko's face.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since she had grabbed the jewel and fallen unconscious. Inuyasha never left her side, except when Kaede or Sango changed her bandages or bathed her. His comrades had to talk him in to eating, and he only slept for a few fitful hours at a time. He knew he was doing horribly, but he didn't care. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered to him now, was Kagome.

"Kagome? Can you hear me? Please come back…" Inuyasha mumbled the words to the young miko softly. He remembered the last time that he had had an outburst and the embarrassment that followed. _I know I have feelings for her, so why am I so embarrassed to admit it? _

It wasn't because of Kagome. No, he wasn't embarrassed that she was the one he had fallen for. She was beautiful and kind and caring. She could be naïve sometimes in her belief that everyone had some good in them, but there were few downsides to her. No, he was embarrassed to let anyone see his soft side. His human side. _I've wanted to be a powerful demon for so long…_Kagome brought out his human side. She made him think and made him want to do kind things. She brought him friendship and love. Inuyasha could feel a blush slide to his face as he thought of the girl. _I…I love you, Kagome. _

He heard the reed curtain to Kaede's hut slide open and a chilly breeze wafted into the room. The weather was starting to get colder and Inuyasha knew that winter was just around the corner. The fire in the center of the room flickered lightly in the wind, but stayed strong. _Just like Kagome. She keeps facing danger, but she always stays strong. _Inuyasha raised his golden eyes to meet the people who had entered.

Sango entered first, in her slayers gear, with Hirakotsu in hand. She had a dark look on her face as she silently sat next to Kagome's unconscious form. The taijita set her boomerang on the floor next to her before turning to warm her hands on the fire.

Following close behind her was Miroku. He wore a frown and looked deep in thought, his beaded right hand grasped his golden staff tightly. The rings around it jingled with each step he took. He sat carefully across the fire from Sango. There was no red hand mark adorning his face, even with him following so closely behind the demon slayer. Inuyasha gulped. This was something serious.

Kaede was the last to enter. Instead of sitting right away, she quickly bustled around her home, gathering things to put dinner together. No one said a word and for a few long moments, the only sound was the reed curtain shifting lightly in the wind and the soft crackling of the fire. Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently. It wasn't even a full two minutes before he broke the tense silence.

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha's temper was even worse with Kagome gone. Without her to keep him in check, he went from bearable to terrible. Miroku smirked at his friend's outburst.

"I knew you couldn't keep silent for too long." The monk sighed. He didn't want to tell his friend what they had discovered in their search for knowledge about the jewel. They had all figured that if they could find out what had happened with Kagome, that they could start to find a way to help her. Miroku glanced towards Inuyasha before getting his thoughts together. His deep blue eyes met Inuyasha's angry gaze. He could hardly blame the hanyou. If something like this ever happened to Sango…

The monk shuddered once before continuing.

"We think we know what has happened to Kagome..." Miroku began. Inuyasha jumped to his feet quickly at the news. He was by Miroku's side in one step. Dropping to the monk's level, he grabbed him roughly by his shoulders and turned Miroku to face him. Shaking him, Inuyasha couldn't help but yelling.

"What's going on here, monk!" Inuyasha was practically snarling. Miroku calmly removed his friend's hands from his shoulders and pushed him back to regain his personal bubble.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I will get to that." He quickly looked away from Inuyasha's golden eyes. He knew Inuyasha wasn't going to take this news well. Kaede had finished putting together dinner and set it on the fire to cook.

"Will ye sit, Inuyasha? We would gladly tell ye the news if ye would calm down."

Inuyasha slightly flinched at the word sit before remembering that the only person who could harm with a simple word was unconscious. _But even that doesn't stop her…_ He remembered being sat just moments before the others came in.

"Inuyasha," Miroku began again, clearly uncomfortable. He shifted where he sat and stared intently into the fire. "Kagome is going to disappear. Forever."


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to those who have reviewed! I really appreciate it!

And thanks for reading!

I'm sorry that this update has taken so long! I've been super busy with classes and such.

And…I don't own Inuyasha…as much as I wish I did.

Chapter Six: Make a Wish

_Make a wish…make a wish…make a wish…you must make a wish. _

Kagome clamped her hands tightly over her ears to try and shut out the horrible voice. But it didn't dim. Why didn't it get softer? Why was it screaming into her ears? It wasn't. There was no voice speaking to her. The words had become so engrained in her that she was hearing them within her own mind. Slowly, the young woman removed her hands from her ears.

_Make a wish…make a wish…make a wish…_

Despair wracked her body as the miko curled tightly into a ball. Darkness pushed in on her from all sides. It had become more than just a lack of light. It had become a deadly presence, a suffocating figure. She closed her eyes and desperately tried to form colors, pictures, anything but the suffocating darkness. She couldn't remember what anything but nothing looked like. Yet another tear caressed her cheek as desperation kicked in. She wanted out. No, she NEEDED out.

Her heart beat wildly as the fear of being trapped set it again. She uncurled and thrashed her arms all around her wildly, trying to escape. She tried to move in any direction; she tried to grab something, even though she knew nothing was there. Her tears grew and coursed down her cheeks unchecked as the silence died to her screams of frustration.

"Make a wish, miko. Make a wish and you will be set free. Don't you want to see your family again?" The voice sounded so sincere. So promising. Visions of running into her mother's arms assaulted the young woman, tears of frustration turning into tears of happiness. Before a smile could even reach her lips, the fear of being trapped transformed into that of the unknown. Kagome opened her mouth to speak…

"Kagome? Can you hear me? Please come back…" Her wildly beating heart skipped a beat at the voice that she was sure she could never forget.

"In…Inuyasha," she whimpered. No. She couldn't make the wish. She wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize seeing him again. Just one more time...But she had to make a wish to get to him, didn't she? The voice that seemed to always be demanding her to make a wish was eerily silent. Kagome knew its power was weakening. But who would give out first? Her, or the Shikon no Tama?

Kagome wracked her mind for another wish. She needed to find something that would lead to happiness for everyone. Something that would save them all from such heartbreak and suffering. But what was it?

The schoolgirl gasped when a solution hit her. A rare smile lit up her face.

"Jewel. Can I see another wish?" Kagome knew the answer, but she couldn't be rude and just demand to see whatever she wished.

"Of course, miko? It is by your powers alone that you are able to have these visions." Kagome was taken aback by what the voice had said. It was her that was making the visions? But how? She could barely shoot an arrow of purification, let alone have so great of powers to make such real visions come about.

"H-how is it me that's doing this?" Kagome couldn't help but ask. She didn't know if the jewel would give a straight answer, or even if it could answer. But her curiosity got the better of her.

"You are more powerful than you realize. It is also by your power alone that you are trapped here."

If she had been stranding, Kagome would have fallen to her knees. She recoiled as if she had been slapped. Her voice caught in her throat as she floated, completely frozen. She couldn't think and her entire body felt numb.

"Wh-what did you say?" Kagome managed to mumble. Her feelings returned in a tidal wave of emotions. She felt angry, upset, frustrated, sad, scared, lonely, confused, curious, and she still felt trapped. To be flooded with so many emotions at once drove Kagome to grasp her head in pain. Tears streamed unchecked down her face.

"You are the reason you are trapped here," the voice stated calmly as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. Kagome began to shake her head vehemently in protest to what she was hearing.

"No…no, that cannot be!" Kagome shocked herself as her voice raised to a yell. Her words got lost in the darkness as she silently cried to herself. She was trapping herself? How could that be? The young miko felt ashamed that she couldn't control her powers enough to even set herself free.

"It doesn't matter," the voice said somberly. "The only way out now is to make a wish." Kagome shuddered at the phrase that she had heard enough of for an entire lifetime. Make a wish. But, what?

Kagome smiled when she remembered the wish that she had thought of earlier. It had to be the right one.

"Jewel. Show me what would happen if Naraku had never been born." Kagome smiled smugly at the brilliance of this new wish. Naraku had caused her and her friends such pain and suffering. Without him, everyone would be happy! Kagome was sure of it!

The young woman waited patiently as the darkness around her melted away. Before she could even blink, she was once again watching the story unfold before her…

Kikyo walked gracefully through the tall grass, a wicker basket clutched tightly against her waist. A light breeze gently ruffled her hair as she made her way to the familiar cave. The miko allowed her eyes to adjust after she stepped into the dark cave and out of the bright sun. Her cold eyes scanned the cave briefly before making her way to the horribly burnt man's side.

The indifferent look upon her face turned into one of sadness when she noticed that the chest of the man that she had been caring for was no longer rising. Setting the basket beside her on the rocky floor, Kikyo gently held her hand in front of his open mouth. A slight sigh escaped her lips when she didn't feel his life's breath.

"Another life lost to such senseless violence," the miko murmured to herself as she gathered her things. Brushing off her miko robes after she stood up, Kikyo replaced the sadness on her face with the look of indifference that she had mastered. Glancing backwards at the dead man once more, Kikyo walked carefully back out into the sunlit meadow.

Kagome gasped as the scene rapidly switched to that of her very own shrine. She yet again got the displeasure of watching herself move about against her will.

Fifteen-year-old Kagome Higuraishi tightened her grip on her backpack straps as she made her way out of the house. It was her birthday today and she was excited to go to school and hear birthday wishes from all of her friends. She skidded to a halt when she noticed her kid brother kneeling beside the well house.

"Souta, what are you doing over there," the young teenager yelled to her brother. The former jumped in surprise and dropped the item that he had been carrying: the cat's food dish. Kagome eyed him with suspicion.

"Don't scare me like that sis!" The younger boy stood up straight in an attempt to try and save what little dignity he had left.

"What are you up to?" Kagome continued to eye her brother with suspicion. She glanced to the cat's food dish and then at the slightly cracked open well house door behind him.

"Buyo went into that creepy well house. I'm trying to get him out," Souta explained calmly, even though it was obvious to Kagome that standing anywhere near the well was creeping him out.

"So? Why don't you just go inside and get him?" If there was one thing any big sister loved to do, it was torment her little brother.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going in there! It's dark and creepy!" Souta absentmindedly took a few steps away from the dark hut. Kagome chuckled softly to herself as she rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I'll do it, you chicken," the girl snatched the food dish from her younger brother and carefully slid open the door. _Souta was right. It is pretty creepy in here._

Ignoring her fears, the young woman carefully descended the steps, calling out the beloved cat's name. Souta waited fearfully outside of the well house, in the sunlight, and away from anything creepy that might be lurking. Kagome's attention was brought back to the dark area around her when she heard a light thump come from near the boarded up and sutraed well. She felt her pulse beat in her ears as her skin prickled with fear.

Souta jumped back a few feet and tripped onto his butt as a startled scream echoed from his sister. He panickingly crawled on his hands and knees to the start of the stairs that his sister had gone down. Kagome breathed lightly in an effort to calm herself. Buyo was rubbing gently against her ankle, pawing at her legs in an effort to get the food that she was holding. Souta let out the breath that he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I thought you said there was nothing to be afraid of!" Souta yelled angrily at his sister. All he received was a grumpy "hmph" as his sister turned her head away from him and picked up the heavy cat.

"We're going to be late for school. Come on Souta," Kagome said as she nudged her brother out of the well house. She carefully shut the door behind her and set Buyo and the food dish outside. Grabbing her brother by the arm, she tugged him behind her as she ran down the steps and into Tokyo.

Kagome breathed heavily as she watched the scene unfold before her. There was no confusion this time. In fact, this was what she had expected. Her gaze remained glued on the well house as her future was changed forever. Again she argued with herself over the fact that she would never meet such great friends; she would never meet the man that she loved.

The miko braced herself as her world again began to spin, and the jewel took her to yet another destination.

Again, I am sorry for how long this update has taken! Thank you for reading and, as always, reviews are welcome and encouraged!


	7. Chapter 7

I love you all! And I am super sorry about how slow I am with updating!

Thanks for the reviews, you are really too kind! And I am super sorry for any typos! I try to proofread, but it's hard enough to get a chapter typed! Life is difficult sometimes!

Again, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.

Chapter Seven: A Wish for All

Kagome watched as a familiar scene unfolded before her. She watched with solemn eyes as Kohaku yet again begged his sister to pick a suitor. She watched the sad look in Sango's eyes as she picked someone that she didn't love to marry. She watched as her best friend tried to hold back tears as she retreated into her home.

"I don't want this for you Sango. But you have your brother and your village. But what if Naraku being gone is better for everyone else? I don't know how to choose," Kagome spoke aloud to herself as Sango's village carried on around her. She watched sadly as Kohaku's figure disappeared as he ran down a side street. It was becoming clear to her that there might not be a wish that would make everybody happy. _What should I do?_

The world yet again shifted for the young miko. Colors blended together as everything swirled around her. Blues and greens and reds blended into one. She held her breath as a nauseous feeling built inside her stomach. Biting her lower lip, Kagome reluctantly closed her eyes.

The feeling passed. Slowly, deep brown eyes opened to witness a new scene. It took her a moment, but Kagome realized where she was. _The temple where Miroku's master, Mushin, lives. Why have I been taken here?_

_

* * *

_

Miroku stepped out of the temple. Well, stumbled is more like it. He giggled as the dish of sake slipped from his hand. His vision swam as he hooked an arm tightly around the young geisha's shoulders. She giggled along with the young monk as they both skipped down the steps.

The young monk sighed lightly as they lay together in the grass, a drunken smile upon his face. He leaned up on one arm and gently brushed the dark hair out of the young woman's eyes. She continued to giggle as he leaned down towards her. Her painted red lips puckered slightly in anticipation of the kiss that was to come.

"Miroku! Miroku, where are you, lad?" A deep voice boomed across the shrine area. Miroku stopped where he was. He closed his eyes slowly and sighed to himself. The young woman looked upon him with curiosity, a drunken glint in her eye. She continued to giggle.

"What is it…Father?" Miroku quickly pulled himself to his feet and tried to stand as still as he could while facing the man in deep blue robes that was quickly approaching him. He swayed slightly as the alcohol in him took its toll. The man smiled broadly when his eyes lit upon the woman that was on the ground. He glanced between her and his son, as his smile grew even wider.

"Well, my son. I see that you are quite busy. Will I finally be getting a grandchild, hm?" A dangerous sparkle lit the older man's eye. Miroku laughed with his father, but not for the same reason. His laugh was weak and shallow. _I still haven't found a woman worth loving, father. _

The geisha smiled nervously as she climbed clumsily to her feet. Glancing between the two deranged monks, she backed slowly away before running towards the town, and away from the lecherous monks. This just made Miroku's father laugh louder.

"Another one got away, eh, Miroku?" He barely managed to form the words between his huge guffawing laughter. The older monk elbowed his song jokingly in the ribs. Miroku lightly smacked his father aside the head.

"All thanks to you, dearest father. None of those women want to hear about bearing children," he muttered under his breath. This did nothing to quell his father's laughter. Miroku gave up keeping a face of utter dissatisfaction and laughed along with his father. He frowned to himself as his father turned his back and walked away._ Where are you, my love? _

Kagome smiled at the sweet, yet odd, conversation between the father and son. She couldn't help but notice a big difference in the young monk that she had grown quite fond of; he had no beads on his right hand. _The wind tunnel…it was a creation of Naraku's. Miroku no longer has a cursed future._

_I guess this is a suitable life for him. He seems very happy. _Kagome frowned slightly._ But I can't help but feel like, without Sango, he won't have everything that life has to offer. _Kagome knew that the two were meant to be, even if both of them refused to acknowledge their true feelings.

A frown lit her face as she thought to whom she wanted to be with. _Inuyasha…_

As if answering her unspoken request, the world once again began to spin, slowly at first, but picking up speed as the colors swirled and bended into one. Kagome clenched her eyes shut, willing away the dizzying feeling.

"Inuyasha? Where are you, Inuyasha?" Kagome's eyes opened to the familiar voice. She watched with a solemn face as the priestess Kikyo walked gracefully into the Forest of Inuyasha. Her heart felt like it was being tugged on as she noticed the loving and peaceful look that was on Kikyo's normally cold and untrusting face. _Inuyasha…_She quickly followed the miko into the woods.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Where are you?" Kikyo called out once more to her beloved. He had been disappearing lately. She usually found him somewhere out in the woods, alone. When she asked him what was bothering him, he would just 'keh' her and not meet her eyes. She frowned when she realized that he had been down ever since…

A startled gasp escaped Kikyo's lips as a flash of red swooped down in front of her. Her hand immediately went to her bow, drawing an arrow in the split second that it took for the red blur to materialize in front of her vision.

Inuyasha stood before her, eyeing up the arrow that was now pointed directly at his heart. He didn't say a word as she carefully lowered the weapon and placed in on her back. A slight smile lit her face as she finally calmed her nerves.

"Oh, Inuyasha! You startled me!" Kikyo laughed for a moment before she realized that Inuyasha wasn't laughing with her. He wasn't even smiling. The young miko's laugh and smile faded. She slowly closed the distance between them.

"Inuyasha…" She whispered softly as she reached up to tenderly cup his face in her hand. He looked away from her prying eyes and suddenly found the ground much more interesting to look at. Sighing in defeat, Kikyo lowered her hand from his face.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing, because we both know that isn't the truth!" Kikyo felt her anger that she had been trying so hard to repress find its way to the surface. He was supposed to be her husband! Why couldn't he talk to her about what was on his mind?

"Kikyo…I…" Inuyasha fumbled over his words. He looked nervous, and that made Kikyo frightened as to what he had to say. He still wasn't meeting her gaze. Instead, his azure eyes glared deeply at the forest floor. Kikyo waited patiently for whatever he was going to say.

"Kikyo, I'm leaving you," Inuyasha hurried through the sentence, spitting out the words as though they were a bad taste in his mouth. He finally met her eyes with his own. What she saw in them caused her to take a few steps backward as words failed her. She clenched her chest, feeling her heart splitting into two. _He can't mean that. He just can't._

"I'm sorry. I did love you…Maybe I still do. But I can't take this…this being human anymore!" Inuyasha's eyes glowed with regret, and even more so, betrayal. The look was directed at Kikyo herself. It finally hit her, the gravity of her request to him. She made him change, for her, not for himself. She made Inuyasha change who he was just to be with her. She shook her head to try and clear out the guilt. _Where did everything go wrong? I thought he wanted to be with me!_

"Inuyasha…I am sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Save it Kikyo! The damage is already done. You made me change. Me being a hanyou just wasn't good enough for you. It wasn't good enough for the villagers to accept me to be a good enough mate." Bitterness laced the hanyou's voice. He had spent five years. Five long and torturous years, toiling away as a human. Enough was enough.

The young miko dropped to her knees on the forest floor. Pain radiated through her body as the words the man she loved said sank in. She held Inuyasha's eyes, begging him to reconsider, begging him for forgiveness for her selfish desires. His eyes held nothing for her; nothing save bitterness and anger.

"Goodbye…Kikyo," the now-human Inuyasha said solemnly as he slowly turned away from her. Tears cascaded down her face as she sat and did nothing except watch the love of her life walk slowly away from her. He quietly broke into a run, disappearing into the woods. Kikyo fell to the ground, clutching the forest floor as her world turned upside down.

* * *

Kagome's mouth opened in shock. She watched as Kikyo begged Inuyasha to stay. She watched as he turned away from her and left. She watched Kikyo cry and, unknown to the broken miko upon the forest floor; she watched a few tears slide down Inuyasha's face as well.

"Well, this isn't what I expected to see," Kagome whispered to herself. Of everyone in her group of friends, she had expected that Inuyasha and Kikyo would have been the happiest of all. _She changed him…him being half demon wasn't good enough for her. _

Memories of being with Inuyasha before Princess Kaguya kidnapped her floated back to Kagome.

_There's nothing wrong with being a half demon, Inuyasha. To be honest, I prefer you just the way you are. _

Her cheeks flushed red when she remembered her declaration in the castle when Inuyasha had come to save her.

_I love you as a half demon, Inuyasha! _

Her face grew even redder when she remembered the kiss that followed shortly after. _He returned that kiss. Even though he claims he didn't. _She smiled slightly.

Kagome's attention was once more directed to the miko that was sobbing on the forest floor in front of her. She felt sorrow for the older woman. _She didn't deserve so much pain. Although everyone thinks that we are rivals, I don't hold any grudge against you, Kikyo. Everyone deserves happiness. _

There was no shock for Kagome this time as the colors drained from around her. The world melted away, taking the forest and Kikyo with it. Her heart dropped when she realized where she was heading. Back to that cursed jewel. Familiar emotions flooded her: anger, sadness, frustration, and most of all, loneliness.

Before she could blink, the bright sunshine of the forest was gone, and nothing but darkness remained. The young miko sighed slightly, curling up into a ball once more, floating in the darkness that she felt like she had been trapped in forever.

_Will I ever get out of here? Will I ever see my friends again…_ Bright gold eyes flashed briefly in her mind. _Inuyasha…_


	8. Chapter 8

I want to personally dedicate this chapter to StarryNight101 whose reviews have been keeping me writing! Thanks again!

And thank you to everyone that has been reviewing! I love you all very much!

* * *

Chapter Eight: I'm Only Human

Kagome was no longer sad, at least not for the moment. Anger seemed to have taken over in its stead, filling every ounce of her body with a burning heat that she couldn't suppress. She wanted to throw something or hit something, but since there was yet again nothing around her, it only served to frustrate her more.

"Make a wish, Kagome. Make a wish and you will be set free," the voice once again taunted. It was like it could feel that she was nearing a breaking point. Kagome seethed, but said nothing. She didn't want to say anything that she might regret. And lingering just below the burning hatred and anger was the ever-present lurking fear that she couldn't get rid of. _I won't make a wish. Not without you, Inuyasha._

_

* * *

_

A white, triangular ear twitched as a hanyou let out a soft sneeze. He could imagine what would happen if Kagome were awake. He could practically hear her in his mind.

"_Inuyasha! Are you getting sick? Here, have a tissue." _Then, she would hand him one of those extremely soft square things from her time and tell him to wipe his nose on it. And he would reply with _"No, I can't get sick, wench. Someone's just talking about me."_

Without one of her "tissue" things, Inuyasha simply wiped his nose on the sleeve of his haori, which was something that Kagome would have scolded him for.

"Damn, Kagome," he muttered to himself. He couldn't keep his mind off of the young miko these days. Everything he did and everything he thought seemed to revolve around her. _It's been ten days now since she has been asleep. Ten days…_ His mind once again took him back to the day when she grabbed the jewel hastily. He still blamed himself. There had to have been something that he could have done to prevent it. He was supposed to be protecting her.

This thought brought him to thinking about her family. _I bet they are really worried about her right now..._ He briefly thought about going through the well to tell them what was going on, but he could imagine how that would go.

"_What? You sinister demon! I will purify you for what you have done," screams Gramps, holding up a fistful of sutras._

"_Inuyasha! And to think that I once thought of you as my hero," sighs Souta, hanging his head in disappointment._

"_I thought I could rely on you to protect my daughter. It seems I was mistaken. No more ramen for you, Inuyasha. Ever," says her mother, tears streaming down her face, as she holds tightly to his bowl of ramen. Inuyasha backs up slowly, a horrified look on his face._

The hanyou shook himself out of the horrible daydream. He again looked down towards the young woman. No one else was in the hut with them. Miroku and Sango were out on a walk and Shippo was playing with other children of the village. Kaede was performing her usual miko duties around the village. Kagome looked so peaceful in her sleep. _I hope you are having sweet dreams, Kagome._

A bright light suddenly burst into the room. Inuyasha was instantly on his feet, hand upon the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. He shielded his eyes with his other hand, trying to see through the harsh brightness. He let out a smile growl when he realized that the light was coming from Kagome, who was still unconscious on the floor.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha continued to growl in frustration as he forced himself towards the light. The closer he got, the more painful the light was. Hissing, he finally reached the young woman's side. Her sleeping body didn't acknowledge the light at all. He could still hear her intake and outtake of breath and the thumping of her heart.

His golden eyes widened in shock as he finally located the source of the extremely bright and painful light.

"The Shikon no Tama," he muttered to himself. He could see it glowing a brilliant pink from within Kagome's fist. His curiosity got the better of him when he reached towards the jewel within her hand. In the blink of an eye, the bright light was gone. So was Kagome. So was everything.

Inuyasha found himself floating in a vast ocean of darkness.

"Dammit…" Inuyasha muttered to himself.

* * *

I'm very sorry that this chapter is so short! I just didn't want to keep people waiting any longer!


	9. Chapter 9

I am glad that so many people like my story! You all make me super, duper happy! I appreciate your nice comments, indeed! I love you all!

Sorry that this update took so long! I am kinda running out of steam on this story, and it was finals week this week, so I was super busy attempting to study!

Thank you for waiting!

Again, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but this story is indeed mine!

Chapter Eight: Vanished! Into the Darkness of the Shikon Jewel!

Inuyasha blinked. Once. Twice. But the darkness would not go away. It was all around him. _What happened? I touched the jewel in Kagome's hand and then…_

"Damn it!" He yelled furiously, turning around rapidly to try and see something, anything around him. He couldn't stand doing nothing, so he violently ripped Tessaiga from its sheath. It instantly transformed into its larger size. The hanyou gripped it solidly in two hands and took up his battle stance. But there was nothing to fight. There was nothing at all. Which just made him more pissed off.

"Wind Scar!" Yelling at the top of his lungs, Inuyasha unleashed the wind scar into a random direction. The brightly lit destructive waves vanished into the distance. Growling in frustration, Inuyasha continued to release waves of destruction into the nothingness. Before long, he found himself kneeling in exhaustion.

Inuyasha finally slipped Tessaiga back into its sheath. His anger faded into a mild panic as he realized that nothing he was doing was helping the situation. He didn't know what to do. And even worse, Kagome was no longer with him. Even if she was unconscious, he could at least keep an eye on her. Now he had no idea where he was, let alone Kagome. But he had a strong sense that she was somewhere in the darkness with him.

_Kagome…is this where you have been stranded this whole time? _After a few hours, he was already lonely and afraid (although he would never admit that to anyone), so he couldn't imagine how Kagome was feeling in all this darkness.

His golden eyes suddenly widened when he realized the full implication of his thoughts. _Kagome…is she around here somewhere? _

"Kagome! Kagome, where are you? I'm here, Kagome!" He screamed until his voice gave out. But, there was no reply. Resigning to a temporary defeat, Inuyasha sat cross-legged in the darkness and allowed himself some time to catch his breath.

* * *

Something felt odd. Kagome couldn't place it, but something had changed within the jewel. Her eyes snapped open at the unexplainable feeling.

"What was…that…" Kagome whispered out loud to herself, but for once, there was no response. _The last time this happened…the jewel was worried because Inuyasha's voice had broken through to me. Has its power weakened even farther?_

"errr meerr goommerr!" Kagome spun around towards the direction of the noise. She couldn't make out what it was saying. It was merely a mumble in the distance. Somehow, Kagome knew exactly who it was. _So, he came to save me after all. _

"He will never make it to you. All you managed to do was get your beloved hanyou trapped in the same darkness as you. You will never be together," the jewel said. Kagome thought she heard bitterness lacing the voice, but she couldn't be sure. Sometimes, she felt as if the darkness was really making her go a little insane.

"…Agome….ere…you!" Inuyasha's voice shattered the darkness once more. It sounded a little closer this time, but Kagome still couldn't make out the words. _I would give anything to hear him say my name again. Even if he was yelling at me. I just want to see him again. Inuyasha, I'm so scared! _

"Inuyasha!" Kagome mustered up all her strength and screamed as loud as she could. Pure silence followed. Kagome waited for a moment more. Nothing. Hanging her head in defeat, Kagome resigned herself to always being alone.

"You can make a wish, you know. You could go home. Don't you miss your family?" Again, Kagome's mind drifted to her family. Her mother, who had always been so kind and understanding; Souta, her kid brother who adored Inuyasha and was even jealous of all the adventures that the well let Kagome go on; and Gramps, her sometimes-crazy grandfather who was a great shrine keeper, even if a lot of his relics were bogus. _I bet they are all really worried. I told them that we were about to embark on the final battle with Naraku, and now I haven't been home in almost a month. _

Her heart yearned powerfully for her own time. Sure, she loved the feudal era, but nothing could replace her family and the era that she called her own. She longed to cry into her mother's open arms, to tease Souta, to feed Gramps's horrible birthday presents to Buyo. She longed to be able to linger in the sunlight and to talk to someone other than the cold, emotionless jewel. She opened her mouth to make the wish, pushing the twinge of fear into the back of her mind out of the pure desperation to get out.

"Shikon Jewel, I wi…"

"KAGOME!" The young Miko was cut off mid-sentence as Inuyasha's voice exploded from somewhere in the distance. The despairing curtain that had fallen over Kagome and pushed her into almost making a foolish wish vanished. She turned expectantly towards the voice that she had longed to hear, the voice that she could not soon forget. She could hear the gruff determination in his voice, along with a twinge of anger. _I wonder if he's angry with me for doing something so foolish as to touch the tainted jewel. _

"Inuyasha! Where are you?" She screamed into the darkness. He sounded so close, yet she couldn't see him. She couldn't catch a glimpse of the red and silver. She still only saw nothing.

* * *

"Damn," Inuyasha mumbled to himself after he screamed Kagome's name back to her. He had been resting when he heard his name burst from the darkness with such force that it almost pushed him back down to his knees. He could feel her priestess powers laced in with his name. Almost as if she was pushing back the darkness to find him, to let him know where she was.

She sounded so close, yet no matter how fast he moved towards her, he never seemed to get any closer.

"Wait for me Kagome! I'm coming to get you!"

* * *

Kagome nodded her head at Inuyasha's statement. She believed in him. She always had. Deep in her heart, Kagome knew that Inuyasha would not fail to save her, as he had always done. _He's always protecting me. I wish I could protect him for a change. _

It was then that it hit her. She remembered her grandfather telling her that once the last person who held the Shikon no Tama made the correct wish, it would exist no longer. She knew what to wish for. But what would happen to her? What would happen to Inuyasha? If they were inside the jewel when the wish she was thinking of was made, would they cease to exist as well?

_I have to make this wish. Not just for Inuyasha, but for everyone that the jewel has harmed. Sango, Miroku, Shippo…. You've all been through so much. The jewel brings only sorrow to anyone who possesses it. I know now what I must do. _

Kagome prided herself on how brave she had been in the feudal era. She had stood up to demons and horrible humans alike. She had even taken on Sesshomaru on the first day of meeting him, with nothing but a rusty Tessaiga as a weapon. She had travelled all over Japan with her friends, battling anything that had a jewel shard. Kagome Higuraishi was no chicken…unless it was bugs. She shuddered at simply the thought of bugs.

But when it came to making this wish, she could feel all of her courage melting out of her body. This wasn't some fight where she had Inuyasha and Sango to back her up and protect her. This wasn't a trek across the countryside where the worst thing to worry about was maybe tripping or running across a rough demon.

This was something that would threaten her very existence. And not just hers, but Inuyasha's as well. The jewel was unpredictable. _I don't know what would happen to me. I don't want to die. _Kagome trembled with fear and collapsed into a ball. Tears snaked down her face. She knew that she had to be brave, but the darkness had stolen so much of her strength, and, even though she was reckless at times, Kagome wasn't ready to give up her life. _Inuyasha…what should I do?_

_

* * *

_

After running towards Kagome's voice for nearly an hour, Inuyasha finally stopped. _This is getting me nowhere. _

"Dammit!" Inuyasha let out a string of curse words as he pounded his fist into the floor of the darkness. He continued until his knuckles were bleeding. The only thing that made him stop was the sudden pulse he felt from Tessaiga. The energy it radiated pulsed strongly to the beat of his heart. He felt it calling for him, begging to be drawn. With nothing to lose, Inuyasha conceded to his sword's wishes. Carefully and slowly, he pulled it from its sheath.

Inuyasha watched as Tessaiga pulsed once more before turning into a starry black. He slowly gripped his sword tightly in both hands as it continued to pulse.

"You want me to cut here with the Meidou, Tessaiga?" It seemed like the sword responded to his question as it continued to pulse at a faster rate.

"Ok. MEIDOU TESSAIGA!" Inuyasha yelled as he brought down his sword. A large Meidou opened out of the darkness and Inuyasha's heart beat painfully in his chest. He didn't know how, but he knew that this Meidou would take him to Kagome, wherever she was in the darkness. Tessaiga was truly a faithful sword; it always seemed to know the desire of his heart and helped him retrieve it.

After letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, Inuyasha leaped fearlessly into his Meidou and hoped with all his heart that it would lead him to Kagome. His Kagome.


	10. Chapter 10

Happy New Year's everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful New Years weekend! Enjoy the newest chapter! Sorry that it took so long!

* * *

Chapter Ten: Reunion

Kagome managed to still her tears as she tried desperately to maintain some sense of courage. Knowing what she needed to do and actually doing it were two separate things. _Inuyasha…_

A snapping sensation ran through Kagome. Clasping a hand to her heart, Kagome gasped at the strange feeling. Before she even had time to wonder what could have caused the odd sensation, all of her senses went numb.

Appearing from out of nowhere directly in front of her, was Inuyasha. The miko froze. Everything froze. Her feelings shut down and her voice was trapped in her throat. Too afraid to move a muscle for fear that he was unreal or would suddenly disappear on her, Kagome simply stared at him in shock of his sudden appearance. He simply stared back.

"Ka-Kagome?" Inuyasha finally found his voice as he floated directly in front of the young woman that he had sought. Here she was, a little pale and scared, but alive and well otherwise. He timidly reached his hand forward, afraid that she would crumble away if he touched her, yet unable to resist feeling her once more.

The moment Inuyasha's hand gently cupped her cheek and she heard him timidly whisper her name, all the numbness broke down. The sudden onslaught of emotions caused a flood of tears to burst from her eyes as her entire body began to shake. She could feel the warmth of his hand on her face and she heard the desperation in the voice that had whispered her name. _He's real. This is real! _

"In... Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, finally finding her voice. Staring deeply into his golden eyes, Kagome let the tears continue to flow unchecked down her face. Before she could even blink, she found herself pulled into the hanyou's strong arms. He crushed her delicate body into his own, wrapping his arms tightly around her back and shoulders. Inhaling her refreshing scent, Inuyasha tucked her head under his own.

"It's you…it's really you…"Inuyasha held Kagome at arm's length. He saw the doubt in her eyes and he wondered briefly what she had been through in the past two weeks that she had laid unconscious in the small hut. It had been hell for him; he couldn't imagine what it had been like for her, trapped in the hellish darkness.

Without any more thought, Inuyasha pulled Kagome to him once more and pressed his lips onto hers. To him, it seemed like the only logical way to prove to her that he was real and to prove that his feelings for her were real as well. She had saved him once before when his demon side had almost taken over; it was time that he returned the favor.

Kagome was shocked. Inuyasha's lips were suddenly on her own. She felt him press his body onto hers with a sense of urgency: urgency for acceptance and urgency for her to return his feelings. Feeling like the jewel had granted her unspoken wish, Kagome obliged to the hanyou's urgency and returned the kiss with everything that was in her. It was her first kiss, and it was everything that she had ever imagined, and more.

Warmth flooded her once cold body and hope that she had lost was returned to her, all in a simple kiss. The dreariness of the dark that she had been lost in for so long didn't matter anymore, not as long as Inuyasha was by her side.

The kiss ended way before Kagome would have liked it to, but there were more pressing matters. Not to mention that she needed to breathe. Noticing that her tears had dried, Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him once more. The ever-present dark pushed in on Kagome once more; it was time to make the wish.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha looked down at her with questioning eyes. She knew through that one look that he understood. He understood everything. He might not have known what she had been through, but he knew now that the choice was hers to make; it had always been hers to make. He was waiting for her to say the words.

Inuyasha kept his gaze locked onto Kagome's dazzling brown eyes. Who was he, a lowly hanyou, to think that he was worthy enough to make a wish on the jewel? _It doesn't matter anymore. I have everything I need, _Inuyasha thought as he looked lovingly at the young miko that was in his arms. He trusted her to make the correct wish. He trusted her with everything.

Kagome simply nodded. She couldn't bring herself to explain the difficult thoughts that were rolling around in her mind. She couldn't tell him that she might be about to make a wish that would destroy them both. _It doesn't matter anymore. I would gladly die to save my friends. Besides, Inuyasha and me are finally together again_._ He kissed me!_ She could feel herself blushing.

Smiling once more, Kagome gathered all of her courage and took a deep breath, conscious that it might be the very last one that she would ever take. She grabbed Inuyasha's hand in her own and took the final leap when he squeezed her hand tightly, silently lending her his strength.

"Shikon no Tama! I am ready to wish," Kagome shouted, gathering all of her power behind her words. She was met with nothing but silence, but she knew that the jewel was there. It had no choice but to listen to her wish, as was its destiny.

"Shikon no Tama! Disappear…forever!" Kagome screamed into the darkness and held more tightly to Inuyasha's hand. No matter what, she told herself that she would never let go.

But fate had a way of turning things around.

A bright pink light exploded out of the darkness and Kagome could feel herself being pulled towards it. This wouldn't have been such a big deal, if Inuyasha weren't rooted where he stood. Startled at the sudden pull, Kagome latched on to Inuyasha's torso, wrapping both of her arms as tightly as she could around him. He responded by holding on to her as well.

"Don't let go! Please don't let go!" Kagome screamed over the sudden rushing that was around her.

"Never! I will never let go, Kagome!" Inuyasha could feel her strength giving out, and he wasn't in a good enough position to have a strong hold on her.

After not too long, Kagome could feel her strength starting to give out. The pull was too strong, especially since Inuyasha was like a rock in the wind; for some reason, the pull wasn't affecting him. He stayed in the same spot, suddenly grounded and unable to move.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's arms slip from around him. He quickly grabbed her hands as they were pulled past him. He held on tightly, despite the look of pain on her face. He watched as the wind sucked off both of her shoes and socks into the pink vortex. Her hair whipped violently around her face as she clenched her eyes tightly shut. The thought dawned on him that the jewel was taking Kagome away from him. _It's taking her back to her own time. _

Memories of moments in Kagome's time flashed through his mind: Kagome sleeping soundly on her comfortable bed, Kagome hugging her mother goodbye as her mother smiled encouragingly, but he could smell the worry on her, Kagome chasing her brother around their house, laughing joyously, Kagome eating her fill of freshly cooked and delicious food, Kagome and her three friends, Kagome hunched over those "book" things into all hours of the night. Kagome. Comfortable and safe. _She's safe there. She's safe and loved._

Kagome witnessed the sudden change on Inuyasha's face_. _It changed from a look of determination and anger, to one of acceptance. Fear laced her body and a cold chill swept through her as she read where his thoughts were going. She tried to wrap her hands around his own, but he was holding her hands by the top of her wrists, so she was just left to flail her fingers hopelessly. Tears slipped out of her eyes and were wiped away instantly by the increasingly stronger wind.

"Kagome, do you trust me?" Inuyasha screamed over the loud rushing.

"Inuyasha, what are you…"

"Just answer me! Do you trust me!" Inuyasha interrupted the young woman. _Even in a situation like this, she is still the most stubborn woman I know. _

"Y-Yes! Of course I do!" Kagome felt time slow as she knew what was coming next. She could feel her heart pounding painfully in her chest. The miko violently shook her head no when she saw Inuyasha nod to himself. Ignoring the wind that was blowing directly into her eyes, Kagome met Inuyasha's gaze and held his golden eyes. She stared deeply into them and saw the pain behind the acceptance. _He doesn't want to let me go. _

Before she could say another word, Kagome felt Inuyasha release his hold on her wrists. Time seemed to stop as she continued to look into his eyes. He mouthed a few words, but the wind whipped them out of his mouth. Screaming, the young miko was pulled quickly into the pink light. Her hair and clothing whipped around her as Inuyasha faded from sight.

Inuyasha's words caught up to her when she was completely engulfed by the pink light and the rushing stopped.

"I love you."

* * *

Sorry to leave you all at an ending like that :) I sure am evil!

It's just to keep you reading! What is going to happen to Kagome?

Thanks for reading and for the lovely reviews! I love you all!


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks again for everyone who has reviewed! Look, it's a new chapter, and in less than a month too! Wooo hoo! This story is wrapping to an end, but I am almost positive that it will have a sequel somewhere down the road.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Go Home to Your Own Time!

Pain. Only one word came to mind as Kagome Higuraishi regained some sense of being and that was pain. Her head throbbed as steadily as her heart and she felt as if her muscles had just ran a marathon. Groaning to herself, Kagome wearily opened her eyes, a feat that caused pain as well.

She closed them almost as quickly as she had opened them. Something sweet and amazing had greeted her brown eyes as soon as they left the protection of her lids. It was something that she had taken for granted and never would again. Something so simple and innocent that had always been there, until it wasn't. Sunlight. For the first time in what felt like years to the young miko, her eyes had lit upon true sunlight. Not the fake light that the jewel had shown her in her dream-like wishes, but true sunlight.

Kagome sat up quickly, something that she regretted immediately. Her muscles all screamed in agony at her decision and a slow hiss of pain escaped her lips. It didn't matter. Deep in her heart, Kagome knew that she was freed from the jewel and its evil entrapment. She shuddered just thinking of the deep darkness that she had been subjected to.

_The jewel. What happened to it? _Kagome's mind was in almost as much pain as the rest of her body, yet she didn't know why. All she knew was that she was laying in a patch of sunlight, on some hard surface, and that she had escaped into the real world once again. _Pink…why do I remember pink? _The young woman scoured her mind and tried to piece her memory back together, but previous thoughts eluded her. A lingering sense of sadness permeated on her joyous escape, but the reasoning for this escaped her as well.

"Kagome!" A voice from her left broke the raven-haired beauty out of her thoughts. For the first time, she looked up from where her gaze had been previously glued to the ground and was met with yet another glorious sight.

Her mother ran towards her, her apron strings bouncing behind her. Kagome did nothing but look up at her mother and meet her eyes, the same brown color that Kagome had been blessed with. She thought she saw tears glistening there, ready to fall at a moment's notice. The past worry and present relief on her face was apparent as well. Kagome smiled warmly.

"Mama," she breathed back, before her strength finally wore out and her muscles failed her. As she fell backwards onto the hard surface of her family's shrine, one word echoed through her head: _Home…_

But somehow, Kagome felt that that word was ringing false…

"Do you think he's going to make it?" A familiar voice ebbed on Inuyasha's peaceful sleep. Flattening his ears against his head, Inuyasha tried to drown out the annoyance. _Just five more minutes._ He rolled over, away from the annoyance.

"Hey! Inuyasha, you can't just leave us hanging like this!" The same voice assaulted his ears again, no matter how flat the hanyou pressed them against his skull. Grinding his teeth together, Inuyasha resisted the urge to strangle the little brat. _Kagome wouldn't like it very much if I killed the little pest._ His golden eyes flew open.

_Kagome! _

Launching himself into a seated position, Inuyasha reached for Tetsusaiga. Startled, Shippo scurried backwards and up onto the nearby monk's shoulder. Clutching Miroku's robes, Shippo hid behind his head, trying to seem as small as possible.

Wincing, Inuyasha briefly noticed how sore he felt. Touching a finger to his tender stomach muscles, Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga to bring himself to his feet. Ignoring Miroku's protests that he should remain seated, the hanyou stood and looked around the small hut that he was in. Panic began to set in when he realized that Kagome was nowhere in sight and that her scent was a few days old.

"She's not here," Miroku stated calmly, though he kept a safe distance from the angered half-man. There was no telling what an enraged Inuyasha would do without Kagome around to stop him or talk some sense into him. Inuyasha glared at the monk, as if his words themselves were his enemy.

"What do you fucking mean, 'she's not here'? Where is she then?" Inuyasha snarled at Miroku, who took another step backwards. He tightened his hold on his golden staff. Even though he was wary of the hanyou, his heart went out to him. He took a breath and braced himself for the worst before answering Inuyasha.

"We were hoping that you could tell us that, Inuyasha." Miroku watched as the dog-demon's mouth dropped slightly. He noticed Inuyasha's grip on Tetsusaiga's sheath tighten until his knuckles were deadly white. Holding his breath, Miroku waited for Inuyasha's next move and he braced himself for the yelling that was surely about to come.

Inuyasha felt numb as the panic he had felt turned into shear terror. _He doesn't know where she is? _Inuyasha searched his mind for when he had seen Kagome last. He remembered seeing her in the jewel; he remembered placing a kiss upon her lips and he definitely remembered her reciprocating his kiss. _She kissed me back. _Although he wanted to feel elated at that simple thought, Inuyasha was still too worried about his miko's current whereabouts to feel anything but dread.

He remembered her wish.

"_Shikon no Tama! Disappear…forever!" She had screamed into the darkness, in what Inuyasha had thought was a random direction. But it produced a reaction. _

_A strangely strong gust of wind picked up. Kagome was latched around his waist, but she couldn't hold on forever. He was then holding her by the wrists, but the wind just wouldn't stop. The pink light was taking her away from him. He remembered the epiphany that the jewel was taking her home. He couldn't tell how he knew, he just did. She would be safe there, with people that loved her. So, he had let go. With a few last parting words. _

"_I love you."_

"She's somewhere safe," Inuyasha mumbled before pushing past Miroku and Shippo and heading outside. In a few moments, he was nowhere to be seen. To say that Miroku was shocked was an understatement. He stood where he was, frozen to the spot. There had been no yelling, no harsh words, and no threats. There had been…nothing. Nothing but three simple words. _She's safe? _

Inuyasha ran. It was the only thing he knew to do in situations such as these. He wasn't running aimlessly or without purpose. He knew exactly the destination in which he was heading. _Did she hear my words? Does she at least know how I feel?_

He stopped and stared into the dark abyss of the well. The well that had been so mysterious, yet had delivered to him everything that he could ever hope for, all in the form of a small dark-haired woman from the future. He remembered hating her when he had first met her, even trying to kill her, since she reminded him so much of Kikyo, the woman who had bound him for fifty years to the sacred tree. He had been bitter about that, but now he was thankful for that moment of his past. _Without me being pinned to the tree, I would have never met you, Kagome. I would have never known what it was like to be accepted and have friends. I would have never known trust, or true love. _

Without wasting another second, Inuyasha leapt into the dark well. His feet hit the ground, but it wasn't right. The air still smelt clean. He wasn't assaulted with the tainted air of the future. Looking up, Inuyasha's eyes were met with a bright blue sky instead of the wooden roof of the well house. Shaking his head in disbelief, Inuyasha jumped out. Praying to every God that he could think of, the hanyou took another leap of faith into the well that had previously been able to take him to the future, and more importantly, to Kagome.

And that was where Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara found their half-demon friend hours later, still jumping in and out of the well. His eyes were hard and his silver hair was matted to his forehead with perspiration. Miroku exchanged a look with Sango before taking a step forward.

"Inuyasha? What is wrong?" Even though it was posed in the form of a question, it was evident to everyone present what the cause of the hanyou's distress was.

He couldn't cross over to Kagome's time.

* * *

A shorter chapter than usual, but that's ok! It was up quicker than usual, so I hope that makes up for it!


	12. Chapter 12

Hello all! Isn't break great for fanfics? It is so nice actually having time to write and update all of you! This story is coming to an end soonish…one or two more chapters and that should be it. Still trying to decide on which way to take it

In an unrelated note, I really wish there was a filter for AU and non-AU stories. It is tiring trying to find a canon story amongst all of the stories out there. I am by no means saying that AU stories are bad; they are just not my cup of tea.

But, that is my rambling for the day! Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!

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Chapter Twelve: How Could You Forget?

Inuyasha remained where he had been for two days, his arms crossed into his sleeves. A yawn escaped his lips and he shook his head in an attempt to clear away the shroud of tiredness that was blanketed over him. He had barely slept over the past few days and it was starting to get to him. But he couldn't stand to keep his eyes closed for too long at a time. He had to wait for her.

Golden eyes remained glued to the ancient well, a portal to the future. It was a portal that was currently broken, which was in turn breaking a certain hanyou's heart, not that he would ever admit that. Something just didn't feel right without Kagome around. She was the reason that he had finally met some people that he could count on and even call friends. She was the reason that he felt that he could be happy again.

"Inuyasha?" The hanyou looked down from the tree branch that he was perched on. Bright green eyes looked up at him worriedly from under red bangs. Inuyasha inwardly sighed. Losing Kagome was annoying enough, but dealing with Shippo's constant whining and crying was almost too much. Inuyasha ground his teeth together in frustration and used every ounce of his willpower not to yell at the kit. _Kagome wouldn't like that…if she were here. _

"What is it?" He attempted to keep the growl out of his voice, but failed. Shippo immediately looked away and bit his lower lip. Inuyasha could smell the salty tears starting to form. _Great._

Leaping out of the tree in one bound, Inuyasha landed lightly next to the young kit. The fox demon child met Inuyasha's gaze, his green eyes watery. Inuyasha swallowed a lump in his throat. He was being selfish. He was by no means the only person in the feudal era that was missing Kagome and was hurt by her disappearance.

"What is it, Shippo?" Inuyasha repeated again, but much softer this time. He crouched down onto his haunches next to the small child. Shippo sniffled and blinked back his tears. He missed Kagome, that much was evident.

"Is the well working yet?" The innocence and sorrow in the young child's voice was the only thing that kept Inuyasha from smacking him across the head. If it had been working, would he just be sitting around doing nothing? _Stupid kit…_

"No Shippo, it's not," he said simply while looking briefly at the well in question. He felt his hands unconsciously form into tight fists at the thought of the well being broken. It wasn't fair! Life just kept taking everything away from him almost immediately after he had received it. First his father, then his mother, then Kikyo, and now…now it was taking Kagome away from him as well. He felt his blood boil as a tidal wave of rage washed over him.

"Inuyasha? What is it?" Inuyasha looked down at the child who had stepped a few feet backwards. Without even realizing it, Inuyasha felt that his face had twisted into a snarl. He had fallen so deeply into his thoughts that he had scared even Shippo. _No sleep is really starting to get to me. But I can't close my eyes. What if Kagome comes back and I miss it?_

"Ah, Inuyasha! It is nice to finally see you again, my friend." Inuyasha stood up fully and regarded the young monk before him. He watched as the light breeze blew the golden rings around the monk's staff, creating a light jingling noise. Before he knew what was happening, the very staff that he had been intrigued in was introduced harshly to his head. Stifling an outraged growl, Inuyasha glared accusingly at his friend. The fact that Miroku managed to hit him at all was a huge testament to how tired Inuyasha really was.

"What the hell, letch?" Inuyasha rubbed his head earnestly while continuing to glare at the purple-robed man in front of him. He noted the appearance of Sango from the forest path behind Miroku. Her eyes still contained a red hue to them that Inuyasha had been blind to before. She was probably suffering almost as much as he was. Miroku smiled brightly at him. If Inuyasha didn't know him so well, he would have thought that the monk wasn't affected by Kagome's disappearance at all. _Damn monk pisses me off. _

"You had us worried for a bit there, and without Kagome around, we had no way to sit you out of that tree." Miroku's smile broadened as he saw Inuyasha flinch a bit at the word 'sit'. It was almost too easy to get under the half-demon's skin sometimes. His smile failed, as the intended response wasn't received. Instead of ranting and trying to hit the monk, Inuyasha's eyes became downcast. Miroku spared a sideways glance as Sango stopped next to his side.

"Feh," Inuyasha muttered. He crossed his arms indignantly and looked away from the three friends in front of him. No matter what the circumstances, he couldn't let them see his weaknesses. _It's enough that I have shown them to Kagome…_

"You need some rest, Inuyasha. Allow us to keep an eye on the well for today," Sango butted in when Miroku didn't say anything. It was obvious to anyone with eyes how worn out Inuyasha was. She knew that he wasn't going to rest easily, especially considering how stubborn he was. But her and Miroku weren't going to take no for an answer.

"Feh! I aint going to sleep while Kagome is missing!" Inuyasha remained with his arms crossed as he stared down the demon slayer. He watched as she smiled wryly and undid one of her shoulder pads that he knew also served as a small storage pack. "Hey, what're you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sango had produced a fan and a powdered substance. His eyes widened as she threw the powder into the air and began fanning it wildly. It reached his nose before he could even begin to dodge it. _Damn demon slaying prowess! _Covering his nose with his sleeve a little too late, Inuyasha felt the full effect of the past few days' exhaustion catch up with him.

"Damn…you…" Inuyasha murmured as he felt his consciousness slipping. He witnessed twin smiles on the monk and demon slayer's faces before his vision went completely black.

"Nicely done, my dear Sango!" The demon slayer smiled honestly at the monk. Usually him calling her 'dear' would aggravate her, but not since they defeated Naraku and he had re-asked her to officially settle down with him. She had enthusiastically said yes, but neither one had made a move on the idea since Kagome had been unconscious and then her and Inuyasha disappeared completely for a few days in a burst of pink light.

Sango grabbed Inuyasha's legs as Miroku took his head and the two began the seemingly long trek back to Kaede's hut with a young fox demon in tow.

* * *

Kagome opened her eyes cautiously when she felt sunlight coating her eyelids. She was met with the familiar pink of her comforter. Disappointment grew inside her, but she didn't know why. _Green? Why did I expect green?_

Fragments of what seemed like a dream drifted through her head, but Kagome couldn't pull anything tangible out of them. Golden eyes, green forests, and bits of red and silver danced in her mind's eye, but none of it made sense to the young girl. She didn't even remember how she had gotten back to her room or where she had been before there. _What happened to me? I remember something about a pink light…_

Kagome sat up slowly as she felt her muscles ache dully. She was sore, but from what, she didn't know. Letting out a growl of frustration at how little she knew about what was going on, Kagome threw the covers off angrily and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. For some reason, their pink color was aggravating her. She got to her feet and stretched her arms above her head.

"Kagome! Breakfast is ready!" Kagome let out a breath of relief at the sound of her mother's voice. At least something was right with the world. _Ah ha! Maybe mama knows what happened! _Barely able to contain the joy at a chance to finally unravel the truth, Kagome ran down the steps, taking them two at a time.

"Mama!" Kagome skidded into the kitchen and ran to hug her mother. She didn't know why, but it felt like she hadn't seen her in quite some time. _That's odd. I don't remember anything that would have kept me away from mama…_

"Oh, Kagome! It is so good to see you! We were all worried you know." Kagome's mother gestured for her daughter to take a seat at the table. Steam rose from the omelets on four different plates. Souta waved with one hand as he stuffed his mouth full of an omelet with the other. Gramps grunted in greeting while taking a sip of tea. Kagome frowned at her mother's statement.

"Worried? How come? What happened to me?" Three pairs of shocked eyes turned towards Kagome as she took her seat. Feeling nervous, Kagome looked away and at her omelet instead.

"Kagome, dear. We were hoping that you could tell us that," her mother said gently. Kagome poked her omelet with a chopstick and looked up at her mother, confusion obvious in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Taking a bite of her breakfast, Kagome turned questioning eyes on her mother.

"Well, we found you yesterday after not hearing from you for almost a month. Suddenly, there you were, in the middle of the shrine grounds."

Gramps and Souta listened to the conversation with great interest. Kagome started to gain a few fragments of that memory back. She remembered being greeted by sunshine, something that had felt very precious for some reason. She also remembered feeling fuzzy back then as well. Kagome could feel frustration growing in her, but she forced it back.

"What do you mean you hadn't heard from me in a month? Where had I gone?" Kagome had thought that her family member's eyes couldn't get any wider with surprise, but they did. All three stared at her in silence for a few moments before Souta finally found something to say.

"You were where you always are. In the feudal era, remember? Slaying demons and going on adventures!" Souta finished his sentence by slashing the air in front of him with his chopsticks, as if they were a sword. Kagome felt her blood run cold. _Me? Fight demons? _

"H-have you all lost it?" Kagome put a hand to her brother's forehead. He slapped it away impatiently.

"No, Kagome! You always go there, down the well!" Something about a well tugged at the back of Kagome's mind. She ignored the feeling and continued to stare at her family with a look of utter disbelief.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Kagome pushed her seat back and stood up abruptly. She didn't enjoy her entire family picking on her. _Something about this isn't right…why does what they are saying feel…familiar for some reason? Why can't I remember?_

"No, dear. It started on your fifteenth birthday and you've been going there ever since. Inuyasha has come here as well," Kagome's mother replied worriedly. What was going on with her daughter?

Kagome felt her heart skip a beat at the name Inuyasha. Her head began to ache as bits and pieces of the puzzle began to poor in at the same time. She clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to shut out the sudden flow of information and memories. Feeling herself slam back into her seat, Kagome didn't even hear her family's startled cries.

_The first time he called her by her first name instead of "you" or "stupid"…_

_The feeling of jealously and betrayal as she witnessed him kissing Kikyo…_

_Tears pouring down her face under the sacred tree when she realized for the first time that she was in love with him…_

"_I'm sorry, Kagome. This wouldn't have happened if you weren't with me," he had said and she could feel the guilt laced through his voice from her position on his back. _

"_It's ok. I'm with you by choice," she had replied before falling back asleep. She heard him whisper her name before the darkness consumed her._

_Kagome…_

"_What you're saying to me is completely wrong. Inuyasha can't forget about Kikyo and even if I can bring myself to accept this rationally, I still feel the pain and jealousy in my heart. However, bearing a grudge against Inuyasha and feeling jealousy toward Kikyo, these are normal feelings that any human would have and it doesn't mean that I should necessarily feel bitterness towards these two. This isn't the first time that Inuyasha has tried to leave me because he knew how difficult all of this was for me. I've even wished Kikyo gone, but then I've always felt bad after for harboring such thoughts. I know…all these feelings, they mean…that I…they mean that I'm in love with Inuyasha!"_

_She could hear his laughter, feel his arms around her. She remembered all the times that she had sat him and the time that he made her medicine and stayed with her all night to make sure she got better. She remembered all the times that he had saved her and all the times that she had saved him. She remembered the first time he turned human and she shed tears for him and he told her that she smelled nice. She remembered…_

_Inuyasha!_

_Kagome…She heard him whisper her name clearly and his golden eyes flashed in her mind. _

Kagome's eyes snapped open. Without a word to her family, she ran as fast as she could towards the well, towards Inuyasha.


	13. Chapter 13

Well, folks! Here it is! The final chapter of my story! As I mentioned earlier, there shall be a sequel, so keep any eye out for that! I have enjoyed writing this story and am sending out a huuuge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the support you have shown me!

Final Disclaimer (sad face!): I still do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters!

Chapter Thirteen: Darkness and Light

A sharp sliver of chill cut down Kagome' back as she stared into the well. Through all the times that she had jumped through it, she couldn't remember it ever looking as dark as it did now. _Did I really use to just jump in there without even thinking about it?_

With great effort, Kagome forced herself to walk to the very edge of the well. She carefully laid her hands on the worn wood that she had climbed over so many times. This well meant so much to her. It led her to Inuyasha, to Miroku and Sango, to Shippo and Kirara and Kaede. It had changed her life forever, which was something that she was grateful for. All of the missed tests and all of the struggling to keep up with her classmates…she realized now how it was all completely worth it.

But fear held her in place. Kagome Higuraishi, a girl that transversed time itself and fought demons, a girl that stood up to Naraku and wasn't afraid, a girl that lived and thrived in the feudal era with bravery that a simple human miko shouldn't have…was afraid of the dark.

Kagome mentally chastised herself, but she couldn't deny the utter dread that suffocated her and glued her in place. No matter how many times she repeated to herself that it was ok, that the darkness couldn't hurt her anymore, Kagome couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to the couple of weeks that she had spent inside the jewel. She had never thought that she was going to see the light again, and now the thought of throwing herself back into darkness was driving her to near-hysterics.

Collapsing onto her knees next to the well, Kagome leaned her back against its side and faced towards the entrance to the shrine that the well was in. She felt relieved that no one from her family had followed her mad dash out towards the well; she knew that she probably had her mother to thank for that. No one understood her quite like her mother did. The last thing she wanted was for her family to see her as miserable and downtrodden as she was at this moment.

_Inuyasha._

Her thoughts centered around the half demon that was somewhere on the other side of the well. Or so she hoped. A different type of fear grew inside her when she remembered that the last place she had seen him was inside the sacred jewel. She had no idea where the jewel had deposited him or even if he was ok. Dread leaked into the mixture of emotions that she was feeling and she allowed a single tear to flow unchecked down her face.

Without another glance into the darkness, Kagome clambered to her feet and dashed out of the well house. The sunlight that beat down on her was welcoming and she stopped in the middle of the family shrine, her delicate face turned upwards to the sun.

"Please…forgive me, Inuyasha," she whispered to the sky, hoping against all odds that he could somehow hear her or sense her and know that her thoughts were on him. "I love you too," she muttered, lowering her face. She felt guilty that she had never told him how she felt. She knew, maybe more than anyone else, how much he looked down on himself, simply because he was a hanyou.

Glancing mournfully back towards the well house, Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and headed back inside her house.

The scene in Kaede's hut might have been comical under different circumstances, but as it was, everyone was tired and downtrodden. In one corner of the hut, Inuyasha lay, bound at wrist and ankle by Miroku's special sealing sutras, growling menacingly. He thrashed as wildly as he could with his hands sealed behind his back, thumping continuously into the wall. Hours before, he had been throwing threatening comments at everyone and anything that came within his sight, but Miroku quickly ended that with another sutra to his mouth.

"Inuyasha…" Miroku's normally calm voice was filled with exasperation. His eyes had dark circles under them; he hadn't slept much over the past few days, mostly thanks to Inuyasha's constant noise making, but also because he normally took the late night shift in watching over the well, almost desperately waiting for Kagome's return. Sango and Shippo were there now. He heaved a sigh. "You are going to accomplish nothing except bruising yourself."

"Maybe ye should unseal him?" Kaede offered her two cents from the other side of the small cooking fire that lay in the center of the room. She knew that Inuyasha was never going to stop thrashing around if he was tied down; his demon side made sure of that. When he was backed into a corner, his more animal sides tended to come out.

"He will be released if he can promise not to run off to the well immediately. If he agrees to sit down to one meal with us, and trust that Sango can handle watching for Kagome," Miroku's calmness had returned, and he glanced at Inuyasha over the steam of the cup of tea that he held gently in his hands. He inwardly smirked at the stillness of the hanyou. _Kagome's name always did have that effect on him. _

"Do ye agree to the terms, Inuyasha?" Kaede stared openly into Inuyasha's eyes. She could easily pick out the sorrow in them, and the usually present anger that sharpened them to hard gold was gone, replaced instead by a soft, molten color. His silver head nodded wearily.

Miroku stood, his staff jingling lightly. With one swift motion, Miroku cut the sutras off of Inuyasha's hands and legs. The hanyou didn't even flinch. Kneeling in front of still man, Miroku gently removed the sutra from Inuyasha's mouth. He marveled at the fact that his friend remained where he was, sprawled across the worn wooden floor.

"Thanks," Inuyasha muttered before slowly pulling himself to his feet. He was tired; there was no denying it. But he couldn't stand being restrained. Now that he was freed from the restraints, his mind seemed to clear. He held no grudge towards his friends. As twisted as it was, them knocking him out and tying him up was there own special way of caring for him. Without another word to either miko or priest, Inuyasha took the bowl of stew from Kaede and sat near the fire.

The silence pushed in around the three companions as they ate in silence. Miroku smiled at the fervor with which Inuyasha ate. He devoured three bowls in the time it took Miroku to eat one. He heard a soft chuckle echo from Kaede.

"So, you said Sango was watching the well?" Inuyasha's voice finally broke the silence. The sadness that Kaede had witnessed in his eyes seemed to grow at the mention of the well; the well that stole Kagome away from him, away from them all.

"Aye, Sango, Shippo, and Miroku have been taking shifts out in the forest," Kaede uttered, clearing away the dishes left over from dinner. Two bowls of stew remained, which Miroku grabbed.

"Come, Inuyasha. Let us see what the two are up to." Miroku nodded his thanks to Kaede before pushing his way out of the hut. He knew without looking behind him that Inuyasha was following. Nothing could keep his hanyou friend from the well. He had been connected to it by destiny, and it would always draw him like a magnet as long as Kagome was involved with it.

The two men walked side by side silently and Inuyasha stared up at the sky. The stars were out and dotted across the sky in stark contrast to the darkness behind them. He remembered a conversation with Kagome about them, back when they had all been after Naraku. He never thought that he would desire to be back in those times.

_Kagome let out her breath slowly as she plopped down onto her back beside him, her ebony hair fanning out on the grass behind her. He continued to sit cross-legged beside her, pointedly keeping himself from gazing down at her face. _

"_The stars are so beautiful here," she whispered, knowing that he could hear her easily. He huffed. _

"_What's so special about a bunch of stupid twinkling lights?" He crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the dark sky. It was the same as it was on any clear night, darkness dotted with billions and billions of twinkling lights. What did she see in such a stupid thing? _

"_Well, they are nowhere near as clear in my time. A lot of things are much more beautiful in this time," she said, remaining on her back. He could hear the wonder and innocence in her soft voice. In amazed him that she could still call the feudal era beautiful, after all of the things that her brown eyes had seen. He said nothing in response. _

"_Plus," she added, almost as if an afterthought. "No matter where I am, I know that we are looking at the same sparkling stars. It means that I am never far from you, Inuyasha. It means that you are never truly alone." _

_Shocked, Inuyasha finally looked down at the young woman's face. She wasn't looking at him; instead, her eyes were locked above her. He noticed, for the first time, how the stars reflected in her eyes. It was in that moment that he realized the true beauty of the stars. _

_Not being able to show his more sensitive side, Inuyasha let out a mock sigh and fell to his back beside Kagome. He saw a smile grow upon her face out of the corner of his eye, and he felt a smile grow on his own face as well. _

Kagome awoke suddenly, her eyes snapping open. She sighed in relief at the dim light coming from the new night-light in her room. This was the third night in a row that she had dreamt of nothing except deep darkness. Pushing the blankets off, Kagome hardly noticed that her clothes were stuck to her with sweat. Getting silently to her feet, the miko flung open her bedroom window. The cool breeze separated her wet hair from her forehead and she gulped in the fresh air.

Feeling her heart finally settle into its normal rhythm, the raven-haired woman sat gingerly on her windowsill, leaning into the night. She tried to push the memory of her dream aside, but it lingered in her mind. She saw the well, black and all consuming, in front of her, ready to swallow her into its eternal darkness. A familiar feeling of cold fear grew in her, and she struggled to push it aside.

Golden eyes suddenly cut through the darkness in her mind, and a warm feeling filled her instead. Kagome found herself unconsciously staring into the night sky. She smiled, remembering how bright the stars were in the feudal era. She remembered how the brightness of the stars made the overwhelming darkness of the night not seem so horrible. _Even when the darkness is impenetrable, Inuyasha will always be there to see me through. He's like my own shining star in the darkness. _

"He came for me," she whispered into the night, as sudden awareness took hold in her mind. "He will always come for me. I have no reason to be afraid when I have Inuyasha."

And with that final thought, Kagome hurriedly closed her window and rushed back into her room, the sight of the stars still fresh in her mind's eye.

Inuyasha sneezed.

"Bless you," came a silent reply from the branch below his. Glancing down, Inuyasha caught sight of a tuft of orange hair. Before he knew it, the little kid was perched at the end of his branch. "Kagome said you're supposed to say 'thank you' whenever someone blesses you, Inuyasha."

"Keh, don't be stupid, ya little runt," he growled out, digging his claws menacingly into the wood. He had tried to order the little fur ball back to Kaede's hut with the rest of the humans, but they were all afraid that he wouldn't leave the…

Inuyasha's nose twitched. A strong scent of flowers and unclean air wafted up to him. He felt his body go numb with anticipation as he glanced down towards the well. _It can't be…_

In the back of his mind, he knew Shippo was talking to him about something, but he didn't hear a single word. Every thought focused on the task at hand as he jumped swiftly out of the tree that he had spent days waiting in; days of waiting, all simply for this one moment in time.

The scent was clearer now, and he could smell salt water mixed in with it. He remembered the terror that was present in Kagome's eyes on the day that he had found her in the jewel. It was a look that he wasn't likely to ever forget, and it was one that he was going to try with everything in his power to prevent from ever happening again.

He reached the well after what seemed like hours and, with a single bound, he leapt over the broken and worn wood and down into the darkness. He could feel the damp air of the earth swirl around him as he carefully made his decent. The darkness slowly grew around him.

Kagome felt the chill of the well replaced by the warm arms of Inuyasha. She felt herself rising out of the darkness, but she couldn't help but bury her head deeply into his red robe, taking in his scent of the woods through deep, labored breaths.

"Kagome!" The young woman recognized the voice instantly as belonging to Shippo, but she still couldn't bring herself to remove her face from where it was hidden beneath the curtain of her own hair. She dug her nails deeply into the cloth, hoping in the back of her mind that she wasn't hurting Inuyasha.

"Shippo. Go back to Kaede's," she heard Inuyasha demand. She didn't hear anything for a while after, and she could picture the young fox demon, ready to protest and cry. Even more, she could easily picture the dangerous look on Inuyasha's face, daring the fox to argue with him. The miko heard a soft scuttling and she knew that her and Inuyasha were alone.

Inuyasha let out a small breath and slumped into a sitting position next to the well. Kagome relaxed as he gently rubbed her back in small circles. She felt her tears beginning to dry, and her limbs stopped shaking in fear.

"Kagome…" He whispered her name slowly. Gently, he brushed the curtain of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Kagome pointedly kept her gaze glued to his chest, not wanting him to see the dread and fear that she knew was still present in her eyes. She forced the tears to stop falling, knowing how much he hated them.

A tapping foot almost brought a smile to her face. She could feel his gaze on her face and his impatience was clear to her. It was one of the qualities about him that someone else would find horrible, but that she found endearing. It was one of the many things that made him Inuyasha. She wouldn't trade that for the word. Bracing herself, she finally gazed into his golden eyes. The concern for her was written clearly in them, and the relief at her finally being back in his arms was evident in the small smile that broke out on his face.

"Inuyasha…" She muttered his name and allowed her eyes to wander over his face, memorizing it once more. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was so scared and I…"

"Baka," he whispered, causing her words to die on her lips. She glared at him for a moment. "It isn't your fault, Kagome. Please just don't ever leave me again."

His words, no matter how simple or unromantic, always had this effect on her. She sighed, allowing a warm smile to fall on her face.

"I followed the stars, Inuyasha. I followed them back to you." He watched as she averted her eyes and a light blush coated her cheeks. She gazed off into the distance, as if lost in memory. He once again noticed the reflection of the stars in her eyes.

_After changing into her school uniform, Kagome quietly tip-toed down the stairs, thankful for the moon that shone through the windows of her house, lighting her path. Quietly, she made her way out of the house and ran across the shrine grounds. _

_Pure adrenaline carried her to the well house, and she gripped the wooden handles with confidence and pulled the doors open. The outdoor lights lit the path down to the well, but beyond the pathway of light laid the darkness of the well. The icy tendrils of fear wound their way towards her heart, but Kagome pushed them aside. Glancing once more at the stars above her, the young woman took one shaky step after another to the mouth of the well. _

_She placed both hands on the rim. Running her fingers over the wood that had been worn down to smoothness over the years, Kagome simply stared into the darkness. Her entire body felt numb and her mind drifted back to the long amount of time that she was trapped within the jewel. Golden eyes underneath long locks of silver hair interrupted the darkness of her mind. Swallowing any lingering fear, Kagome threw herself over the edge of the well and plummeted into the consuming darkness once more. _

_The familiar weightless feeling surrounded the young woman, and a small smile grew on her face. She did it! The great sense of accomplishment was short lived however, as Kagome was stuck in the darkness once more. Crying, she bundled herself into a small ball and backed into the corner of the well, waiting and hoping that Inuyasha was somewhere nearby. _

Kagome snapped back to the present when Inuyasha's arms tightened around her. She leaned into his warmth and gazed upward at the dark sky dashed with a billion gleaming lights. She glanced back at Inuyasha and found him staring at the stars as well. He caught her staring at him and glanced down, giving her a small smile. Smiling back, Kagome continued to stare into the vast expanse of the sky, amazed that her and Inuyasha managed to find each other in such a large universe.

"Kagome…Where are you?" he whispered suddenly into her ear. Confused, she turned to give Inuyasha a quizzical look, but he was no longer there. Neither was the small meadow with the well in it. Kagome turned forward and found herself floating in darkness, surrounded by the stars. It was as if she had been thrown into space. Calming herself with the fact that it wasn't completely dark, Kagome spun around, feeling suddenly dizzy and sick.

"Kagome..." She could hear Inuyasha's voice, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't understand!" Kagome screamed into the stars that surrounded her, trying to piece everything together. Had she been dreaming?

Inuyasha blinked. He felt weightless, as if jumping into the well after Kagome's scent had sent him through. It was different this time though. He glanced around and noticed that the darkness was studded with billions of twinkling lights. _Stars? _The last thing he remembered was leaving Shippo behind after smelling Kagome's scent coming from the well. He knew that he jumped it, but she was nowhere to be found.

His nose twitched mercilessly, and he realized that he could still smell her. Awkwardly, he half swam through the space that he was in, noticing that slowly, the lights were starting to blink out, leaving blank areas of pure darkness. _Hold on Kagome, I'm coming! _

Panic gripped Kagome's heart when she noticed the first star twinkle and then fade away. Others followed it, and slowly, she noticed that the darkness was eating away at the lights. She froze, feeling cold suddenly. Her breath began to pound through her lungs, and she gulped in large quantities of air.

"Inuyasha!" It took her a moment to realize that the hysterical screaming of the hanyou's name was coming from her lips. She continued to scream until her throat felt raw. Nothing she did was helping, as one by one, the last of the shining lights went out, plunging her into a deep darkness once more.

Inuyasha's ears shrunk back against his head at the shrill voice that was screaming his name. He could smell the fear and desperation in her scent, and it propelling him to move faster. He called her name back at her and noticed how close her voice sounded. Dread encased him when the last of the lights was finally consumed by the darkness. His heart went out to Kagome. Her scent was getting closer and closer. Frustrated, Inuyasha cut his arms through the darkness, desperately trying to reach her.

One more stroke, one more kick. He moved sluggishly through the darkness. Angrily, he thrashed, trying anything to move himself forward. He threw one arm forward…and it connected with something solid, something soft. Elated, he grabbed out, fisting his hand in the soft fabric that he knew had to belong to Kagome. He pulled, dragging the young woman into his arms. She thrashed wildly, trying crazily to break free.

"Shhh, Kagome, it's me. It's me," he snarled, tightening his grip on her and ignoring the weak punches that she was throwing into his side. Her struggling died immediately, replaced by deep gulps of breath.

"Inu…yasha?" she breathed out. He could feel her heart racing wildly. "Is it really you this time?" He stroked her hair and remained silent for a moment. There was no denying how much her comment confused him.

"What the hell do you mean? Why wouldn't it be me?" He squinted his eyes, trying to see anything of her in the darkness, but it was useless. He settled for running his hands over any part of her that he could get to, making sure that she was ok, while avoiding any parts of her that would make him like Miroku. He smirked when he accidently rubbed her side with his fingers and she giggled against her will.

"I…I think I dreamt that I was with you. In the meadow by the well, underneath the stars. I don't know how I wound up here." He could hear the quiver in her voice; feel her body shiver against his own. He held her tightly against his body, wrapping her completely within his arms.

Before he could reply, a sharp blast of light split through the darkness like a bolt of lightning on a stormy night. Inuyasha shielded his eyes and felt Kagome turn her face into his chest. Slowly, the light dimmed to a pleasant glow, and both Kagome and he turned their faces towards the source.

Encased in what could only be described as a heavenly glow, was a dark haired priestess. She wore the familiar attire of the miko, only she also wore a chest plate of silver metal and a sword was buckled to her waist. Inuyasha's thoughts instantly twisted towards Kikyo, the stoic look on the mysterious woman's face reminding him entirely of Kikyo's serious demeanor. The woman was familiar to him in a way that he couldn't place. She opened her deep eyes and stared intently at the embraced duo.

"Inuyasha. Kagome." Her voice was velvety smooth as she addressed both of them. Her long raven hair floated gently behind her.

"Midoriko," he heard Kagome whisper in reverence. She recognized the woman from various dreams and from the stature that was immortalized within the cave by Sango's village. Kagome noticed that the gaping hole that was once in the woman's chest was gone.

"Indeed," Midoriko nodded towards Kagome, a light smile gracing her lips.

"What are we doing here?" Inuyasha's patience had reached its limit. He felt Kagome lay a restraining hand on his forearm, but he ignored it, glaring pointedly at the woman before them. The miko simply laughed light-heartedly.

"In due time, Inuyasha. Firstly, I am here to thank both of you," she spoke, bowing her head towards them in a sign of thanks. Kagome's gaze once again fell towards where the gaping hole no longer was. _Is she thanking us for getting rid of the Shikon no Tama and returning her soul?_

"For what?" Brash as always, Inuyasha voiced Kagome's question…although he did it a little more harshly than she would have done herself. Midoriko's eyes simply sparkled with amusement at the hanyou's impatience.

"For setting me free. My soul was chained to the jewel, forever cursed to be in eternal battle. But your bravery and cunning has finally allowed my soul to be put to rest." She paused, her gaze settling upon Kagome. "You risked life and love to rid the world of the jewel. Know that you forever have my thanks."

Kagome laughed nervously. She wasn't used to being in the eternal gratitude of someone.

"Would you get to the point?" Inuyasha growled from beside her, keeping up his angry façade. Kagome would never be impolite enough to say it aloud, but she secretly desired to know the true meaning behind the appearance of the ancient miko, and more importantly, where they were. "I know you didn't come here just to spout off this 'thanks' bullshit."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said his name with the dangerous undertone that usually promised a good round of sits. He smirked when he realized that the curse held no weight when they were floating, but he kept his mouth shut nonetheless.

"This is my thanks to you. It is the only thing that I can give to you, now that I am about to depart this world," her voice was still velvety smooth, but Kagome thought that she could sense it tinged with sadness.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked gently, a gnawing sense of foreboding dread rising in the pit of her stomach. Alarms saying that she should know what was going on sounded in the back of her head, but she felt as if one piece of the puzzle was missing, and without it, she couldn't put everything together.

"I wanted to give you two the chance to say goodbye," Midoriko finished, her smile finally fading. She looked as if the words physically pained her.

Kagome froze at the words and she felt Inuyasha stiffen beside her. Glancing up at him, her breath hitched in her throat when his golden eyes met hers. The pain was evident in them, but rather than admit to feeling pain, Inuyasha twirled and set his wrath upon the mystic miko in front of them.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha snarled and Kagome couldn't remember a time that she had ever seen him this angry. She flinched away from him in reflex, but he kept one arm wound tightly around her waist, afraid that if he let go of her for even one instant, she would disappear.

"You two were born in different worlds. The power of the jewel is going to separate you. For how long, I cannot say. I do know that the portal between your two worlds is no longer functioning, and no amount of magic is going to fix it, save the magic of time." Her face was once more stoic, as if she suddenly remember her training as a miko that dictated that she remain emotionless and detached from those around her.

Kagome felt her heart hitch in her chest. Every beat seems to send pain throughout her entire body. She turned and looked at Inuyasha. Anger was evidence upon his face, in the way that his teeth were bared and a low growl was coming from his throat, but she knew him better. She could see the pain underneath the surface that he was trying so desperately to hide.

"Why should we believe you? How do we know…" Kagome silenced Inuyasha's raging words with a gentle hand to his face. She cupped his face in one hand and forced him to look at her.

Inuyasha felt the heart that he had just recently admitted to having start to break within his chest. He laid one clawed hand over the small hand that Kagome had on his face. He saw her eyes begin to swell with tears and he desperately tried to force back the stinging sensation in his own eyes, not wanting Kagome of all people to think that he was weak. He needed to be strong; not only for himself, but for her as well.

He opened his mouth to speak, but fell short. There were no words to express how he felt at this moment. Everything he thought to say seemed to pale in comparison as to how he really felt. He felt frustrated, but the look on Kagome's face told him that there was no need to find the perfect words. He knew that she understood every thought that went through his mind, perhaps even more so than he did sometimes.

"Kagome…" He settled for simply saying her name, enjoying the sound of it on his tongue. She forced a small smile to her face before throwing herself into his arms. He held her against himself tightly, not willing or ever wanting to let her go. "It just isn't fair. It isn't fucking fair!" He couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into his words.

"I know, Inuyasha. I know," Kagome whispered from within his arms. She pushed herself away from him so that she could see his golden eyes once more. A speck of hope was still lit in her heart, at the fact that Midoriko didn't say that they would never see each other again. There was always hope that she would see him again.

"I love you, dammit!" Inuyasha gripped her by the shoulders and admitted his feelings once more, in true Inuyasha smile. Kagome didn't have to force the smile to her face this time. She felt giddy with the excitement of his proclamation. She intended to reciprocate this time though, before they could be pulled away from one another again.

"And I love you, Inuyasha," she said innocently, as a light blush tinged her cheeks. He was her first love and she had never admitted feelings like this before. She watched, as he grew nervous as well. Rather than stumble over pleasantries, Kagome pulled herself up and pressed her lips eagerly against his.

Inuyasha felt his entire body light on fire as Kagome's lips pressed softly onto his own. He was startled for a moment before his body reacted automatically. He wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled his other hand into her ebony hair, pushing her head towards his own in order to deepen the kiss. Kagome sighed lightly and wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Everything felt all right in the moment of that one simple kiss.

And then it was over. Inuyasha opened his eyes and found himself sitting at the bottom of the dark well. He was alone. Punching the ground with one fist, Inuyasha cursed. He could still feel her and he reverently brushed his fingers over where she had so eagerly pressed her lips against his.

"Inuyasha?" A childish voice called his name and he glanced up to see Shippo's green eyes looking eagerly down at him. He sighed to himself before springing out of the well.

"Is Kagome…" The little fox demon stopped his questioning at the look on Inuyasha's face. He looked destroyed. Shippo glanced down the well as the last bit of hope he had was dashed away. He couldn't help the small tears that welled up in his eyes.

"She's gone," Inuyasha muttered softly, trying to keep the hurt from his voice. "There's no need to keep watch over the well anymore." With that, he turned and began to walk back to the village; the village that he had slowly grown to call home. He thought of the friends he had there. It was all because of Kagome. She had taught him how to be happy and how to trust people again. She had single handily turned his life around and now she was gone.

He stared into the sky as he walked back, and a small sliver of hope grew in his chest. _No matter where I am, I know that we are looking at the same sparkling stars. It means that I am never far from you, Inuyasha. It means that you are never truly alone._

Kagome found herself in the darkness of the well once more; only she was completely alone this time. She shivered, but it was due to the cold more than fear. She was too emotionally drained to be afraid anymore. Frowning, the young woman climbed out of the well and into the well house. She looked around at her home. _Home? It might have been before, but now I fell as if the feudal era is my true home. _

Wearily, she made her way back to her bedroom and flopped onto her bed, grabbing her pillow and holding it tightly against her chest. She could feel her lips still tingling from where she had kissed Inuyasha. She remembered their exchange of how they truly felt. She remembered the dream she had where he had held her by the well.

Hope rekindled within her. Midoriko had seemed to elude that they would see each other again, and she remembered the look that she had seen on the miko's face when she had slitted her eyes open during her kiss with Inuyasha. Midoriko had a small, knowing smile on her face, as if she knew a secret that they didn't. It gave Kagome hope.

It would be a difficult road ahead until she was reunited with Inuyasha, but as long as she could see him again, Kagome was willing to do anything.

Thank you all so much once more! I hope this last chapter is long enough and offers enough closure. Sorry that all my stories seem to have sad endings haha. There will indeed be a sequel, so keep an eye out for that!


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